Ashrafi calls for int’l tribunal to probe Israel’s war crimes

Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Religious Harmony & Islamic Countries Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi on Tuesday called for the establishment of an international tribunal to probe Israel’s war crimes.

The United Nations should take immediate steps in that regard as it was the unanimous demand of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes it was committing in Palestine, he said while addressing a conference on the current situation in Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

 Ashrafi, who is also Pakistan Ulema Council’s Chairman, said the people all over the world irrespective of their religious backgrounds were condemning Israeli brutalities on Palestinians.

\Both Muslims and non-Muslims stood united in opposition to the Zionist regime which was perpetrating genocide in Palestine, he added. It was the humanity not the followers of a specific religion facing oppression, Ashrafi said.

He said Israel was an occupier, oppressor, and aggressor, and Pakistan would support a solution of the conflict as per the aspirations of the Palestinian people. Ashrafi lauded Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for effectively highlighting the issues of Kashmir and Palestine during his recent visit to the United States. The PUC chairman denounced the recent terrorist incidents that led to the martyrdom of soldiers. The foreigners residing in Pakistan should follow the laws of the land and refrain from creating unrest, he added. While announcing the conference’s declaration, Ashrafi stated that the PUC endorsed the Supreme Court’s decision on military courts.

Earlier, PUC leader Maulana Zulfikar, in his address, emphasized on the resolution of Palestine and Kashmir issues. He highlighted the significant casualties and displacement in Palestine, urging international organizations to take notice. PUC Islamabad President Maulana Abu Bakar Sabri also spoke.Prominent religious scholars and others attended the conference.