ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned the assassination of Palestinian group Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh and demanded that leadership of the Zionist state be tried for war crimes.
The prime minister was addressing the National Assembly after the house offered Fateha for Haniyeh who was assassinated on Wednesday in Iran.
Misbahuddin led the prayer on the request of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
“Hamas leader’s death is being mourned across Pakistan today,” premier Shehbaz said and added that Pakistan would continue to help the Palestinian brethren.
He told the parliamentarians that arrangements would be made to bring the injured Palestinians to Pakistan for treatment. Palestinian students would be admitted to the medical colleges in Pakistan, he continued.
He described the killing of Ismail Haniyeh as a big blow to efforts for peace and expressed the Pakistani nation’s solidarity with the bereaved family and the Palestinian people.
The Israeli military has converted Gaza into an abattoir where innocent children, women and men are being slaughtered, the premier stated.
He urged the world community to ensure delivery of aid to the Palestinians.
“I am grateful to all the members, those sitting on opposition benches and the coalition partners for adopting the resolution against Israeli atrocities on Palestinians,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said.
The parliamentarians belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised slogans when Prime Minister Shehbaz entered the house. They stopped sloganeering when Law Minister Nazir Tarar said the session was dedicated to discuss the martyrdom of Palestinian leader.
NA ADOPTS RESOLUTION
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar tabled a resolution on Ismail Haniyeh’s martyrdom. The resolution condemned killing of more than 40,000 Palestinians by the Israeli military, and added that Pakistan opposes all kinds of terrorism.
The House expresses its support for the Palestinian brothers and condoles the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, and calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the resolution added.
Later, the house unanimously adopted the resolution.
BARRISTER GOHAR ALI KHAN
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that thousands of Palestinians have been martyred. Passing of resolution won’t stop Israel from committing atrocities. “We have to analyse whether Israel is strong or the Muslim world is weak?”
He said that in his opinion, the Muslim world is weak. Non-Muslim countries took Israel to the International Court of Justice while the Muslim Ummah failed to do so.
Barrister Gohar stressed on strengthening the OIC and termed it failure of the incumbent government for not calling a meeting of the organisation.
The PTI leader said the [Pakistani] nation is not united. "How can you make a bloc against Israel when there’s no unity in your ranks?"
He said the incumbent government committed gross human rights violations. He said a request was filed for production order of PTI worker Haji Imtiaz. Speaker Ayaz said that he was not in police custody.
Barrister Gohar replied that the speaker is the custodian of the house. It is your responsibility to ensure Haji Imtiaz’s presence in the house. “It is your duty to ensure end to enforced disappearances.”