ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared August 2 as a day of mourning over the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and expressed complete solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The premier denounced the extraterritorial killing, which he described as a blatant breach of international law, and said that it had drawn widespread condemnation from Pakistan and other nations, including Turkiye, Russia, Iran, China, and Malaysia.
Addressing a meeting in Islamabad on the situation in Palestine, Sharif highlighted the brutal loss of Haniyeh’s family members and criticized the ongoing violence in Palestine. He pointed out that over the past nine months, more than 40,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have died due to the conflict.
The prime minister condemned Israel for disregarding International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings and United Nations resolutions, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to destroy Palestine. He expressed appreciation for Western support from countries like Ireland and Spain, which advocate for the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution.
The meeting, attended by representatives from various political parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and others, voiced unified outrage over Israeli aggression and affirmed solidarity with Palestinians.
Participants declared August 2 a national day of mourning in Pakistan, decided to hold a national funeral prayer in absentia for Haniyeh after Friday prayers and planned to present a special resolution in Parliament supporting Palestine.
They also committed to continuing humanitarian aid, including medical support and treatment for injured Palestinians.
The meeting urged the international community to move beyond neutrality and take a firm stand against the ongoing violence. It called for global action to halt the genocide in Palestine, ensure justice for the victims, and uphold international laws and human rights standards.
