LAHORE: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that no solution can be imposed on Palestinians without their consent, particularly regarding a two-state solution.
Addressing a press conference at Jamia Ashrafia here on Tuesday, he said that the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had declared Israel an illegitimate child and that Pakistan would never recognise it.
The JUI-F chief’s condemnation of Israel comes as it continues with its intense offensive across the occupied territory of Gaza, where at least 67,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 168,536 injured since October 7, 2023.
Fazl said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had been declared a criminal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), yet the United States continued supporting him.
He praised those countries that boycotted Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly, saying they deserved appreciation.
“The most important question in today’s world is the issue of Palestine,” he said, reiterating that Israel was an illegitimate state which Pakistan would never accept.
The JUI-F chief also said the US had sidelined Hamas, but without recognising Hamas as a stakeholder, the Palestine issue could not be resolved.
Commenting on recent developments, he said the narrative of US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu might be part of a plan for Israel’s expansion.
Fazl is referring to the 20-point Gaza peace plan announced by the US President after he met the Israeli premier at the White House earlier this week.
The JUI-F chief criticised the rulers, saying they lacked the ability to govern, and added that political leaders who promoted provincialism were deviating from the Constitution.
He also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reflect on whether Pakistan was retreating from its basic stance on Palestine.
Reacting to Israel’s apology over its attack on Qatar, Fazl said it was not enough for the Muslim Ummah and the people of Palestine.
A day after the announcement of the ceasefire plan, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that Trump’s proposed Gaza peace plan was not the one that contained all of Pakistan’s suggestions.
Speaking in the Geo News programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” on Tuesday, Dar explained that Islamabad held detailed discussions with Trump’s team, asking them what Washington had in mind.
He noted that Trump’s team shared certain points, and Pakistan responded that within 24 hours, it would submit its amendments to those points.
However, Dar stressed that the draft subsequently prepared by Washington did not include all of Pakistan’s proposed changes. “This draft does not incorporate all our amendments,” he reiterated.
