ISLAMABAD  -  Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and the Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Monday stated that Pakistan’s stance on the Gaza issue had been unequivocal since October 7, affirming its unwavering support for Palestinians in their just cause.

Addressing a press conference here, he highlighted that certain entities wanted to disturb the country’s peace through disinformation, with numerous fake social media accounts from India fanning religious disharmony and political instability. 

Ashrafi, who is also Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, emphasized that Pakistan was among the first nations to provide aid to Palestine, with contributions from its government, army, and people for the Palestinian brethren. 

He said the issue of Palestine prominently featured in the Corps Commander Conference, and Pakistan maintained a clear stance on the matter at the summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and that unambiguous position was highlighted during the meeting of Army Chief with the Palestinian ambassador.

Ashrafi mentioned that both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar directly engaged with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Pakistani prime minister was among the few leaders who met the Palestinian president during the special summit in Riyadh.

Emphasizing that the Palestine and Kashmir were the common issues of the Islamic Ummah, he said deviating from the two concerns was not a viable option.

He expressed gratitude to the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, for convening Arab and Muslim ministers to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This occurred during their delegation’s visit to Beijing as part of a tour aimed at ending hostilities and facilitating humanitarian aid to the distressed Palestinian enclave, he added. Ashrafi stated that Pakistan maintained communication with various Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Egypt, in an effort to peacefully address the Palestine issue. He pointed out that the matter of the return of illegal Afghan migrants had been negatively portrayed by a certain section of the media with malicious intent. He questioned whether Pakistan did not have the right to repatriate those foreigners residing unlawfully within its borders. Expressing a desire for peace among Islamabad and Kabul, he emphasized the responsibility of neighbours to take care of each other. Ashrafi also mentioned that an OIC delegation had recently arrived in China from Saudi Arabia, indicating improvement, and he anticipated positive outcomes from the decisions made by Muslim leaders during the OIC special summit in Riyadh.

To a query, he said that no illegal immigrants would be permitted to remain in the country.