Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly denounced the recent storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers and settler groups, who were accompanied by Israeli police forces. In a statement shared on social media, he described the intrusion as a grave violation of Islamic sanctity and international norms.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the incident constitutes a direct attack on one of the holiest sites in Islam, deeply wounding the sentiments of over a billion Muslims worldwide. He added that this act of sacrilege is not just an affront to religious beliefs but also a blatant violation of international law and a challenge to the collective conscience of humanity.
Highlighting the broader implications, Shehbaz Sharif warned that such systematic provocations by the occupying Israeli forces, especially when they are coupled with inflammatory rhetoric calling for annexation, pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability. These actions, he asserted, are deliberately escalating tensions in Palestine and throughout the Middle East.
The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s firm and unwavering support for the Palestinian cause. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, an end to all acts of aggression, and the urgent resumption of a credible and inclusive peace process. According to him, this process must ultimately lead to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
This condemnation comes in response to the recent visit by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem. During his visit, Ben-Gvir reportedly offered prayers at the site, an action that directly challenges longstanding agreements governing the sensitive religious site.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, one of the most sacred locations in Islam, is located within a broader religious site in Jerusalem that is also significant to Judaism. According to a decades-old “status quo” arrangement, the compound is administered by a Jordanian religious authority. Under this agreement, Jews are permitted to visit but are not allowed to perform prayers at the site.
Following the visit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel remains committed to maintaining the status quo at Al-Aqsa, asserting that the policy “has not changed and will not change.” However, actions such as Ben-Gvir’s publicized prayer have raised serious concerns about Israel’s true intentions and the future of the fragile arrangement governing the holy site.
Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks reflect growing alarm across the Muslim world over Israel’s increasingly provocative moves, which many fear are designed to alter the religious and political landscape of Jerusalem irreversibly.
