LAHORE, Dec 16 (TNS): Banners have been placed across Punjab to express solidarity with Palestine and unity of the Muslim world
The streets of Lahore in particular give a look of being completely in support for Palestine people as the banners placed by Punjab Gov’t depict the sentiment and commitment of whole Pakistani Nation towards liberation of Palestine from the clutches of illegal occupant, Israel.
Banners showing the pictures of Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif meeting the Presidents of Palestine and Turkey during his recent visit to Istanbul to participate in special OIC Heads of states meeting in the wake of US president Donald Trump’s highly controversial and provocative announcement of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and shifting US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The banners read “If Jews have any right on the soil of Palestine then why Arabs don’t have the same on Spain” and “Al-Quds/Jerusalem is our first ‘Qibla’ the direction to worship and to protect it is our faith”.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had immediately and strongly condemned US President Trump’s decision on 7th Dec to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by saying that the religious sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims have been deeply hurt by the US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of Jerusalem.
He warned that instead of advancing the peace process, the US move will badly hurt the efforts of peace, adding that the Palestinians have been deceived once again. The CM had said with this reckless and irresponsible US policy reversal, the goal of finding a two-state solution has become even more distant. He said the world has rightly been outraged by the action of the Trump administration whose understanding of history is fickle and self-serving.
The CM also endorsed President Erdogan’s comment wherein the Turkish leader had said that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the US has crossed the “red-line”. He warned that this step exposed the Middle East to a new era of fresh uncertainty and chaos. He said the world cannot such narrow-minded policies that seem to insult the intelligence of the people.
CM Punjab said the Palestinians right to have an independent homeland of their own was sanctioned by the United Nations resolutions. Instead of taking steps to reignite peace process, the United States under President Trump has complicated the regional situation that has graver implications for the world peace in general and the stability and peace of Middle East in particular.
The CM reiterated the resolve that the government and the people of Pakistan will continue to extend every possible support to the Palestinian cause at every level. He underlined the need for a collective response at the level of OIC to the latest policy announcement of the Trump administration.
During the OIC Summit on Wednesday last Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif was welcomed to the city by Istanbul mayor Mevlut Uysal on the sidelines of the special summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which seeks to rally leaders of the Muslim world for a coordinated response to US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
During the meeting, the two leaders condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital and expressed their solidarity with Palestine.
