Pakistan observes day of mourning and offers funeral prayers in absentia for slain Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh

Pakistan’s government and its allies observed a national ‘Day of Mourning’ on Friday (August 2) in memory of slain Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. Pakistan’s government said that it stands in solidarity with Palestine and condemns Israel’s “state-sponsored terrorism.”

The decision was taken after a consultative meeting of the government and its allies in Islamabad chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Israel has trampled upon all international laws by committing this act,” Sharif said while addressing ruling alliance lawmakers in Islamabad, according to state-run media.

The meeting was attended by leaders and senior representatives of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League-Q among others.

Pakistan condemned the assassination of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, 2024, expressing deep shock at the incident that can put the region into a dangerous new phase. Haniyeh and his bodyguard were killed in Tehran in a rocket strike while he was in the country to attend the new Iranian president’s swearing-in ceremony. 

While Israel has been silent on the matter, Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel for carrying out an assassination on its soil. 

Thousands offer funeral prayers in absentia for slain Hamas chief

On Friday, hundreds of thousands of people, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and parliamentarians, offered funeral prayers in absentia for slain Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, condemning Israeli military actions in Palestinian territories.

Sharif and other Pakistani lawmakers offered prayers at Parliament House in Islamabad, whereas hundreds of people offered funeral prayers in absentia for Haniyeh at Islamabad’s iconic Faisal Mosque.

Pakistani prime Minister said that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is condemnable and that Israel has grossly violated the resolutions adopted by world bodies, including the United Nations Security Council and the decision of the International Court of Justice.

Sharif also questioned the silence of the international community over the ongoing Israeli barbarism in Palestine, calling it a matter of grave concern. 

Earlier on Wednesday, funeral prayers for Haniyeh were also offered in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta led by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI). JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman led the funeral prayer in absentia of the Hamas leader on Liaquat Road, Rawalpindi. The prayers were also attended by the delegation of the Palestinian embassy in Pakistan.


Funeral prayers in absentia held in several countries

Funeral prayers in absentia for Haniyeh were held in different parts of the world, including Pakistan, Türkiye, Morocco, and Malaysia and Friday was observed as a national day of mourning in several countries.

On Friday, mourners gathered at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab mosque in Doha for the funeral prayers for the Palestinian group’s political chief, ahead of his burial at a cemetery in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital.

Israel should be held accountable for Haniyehi’s assassination: Pakistan PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has demanded that Israel should be held accountable for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Friday, he said the entire Pakistani nation and Muslim Ummah are aggrieved over the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh. 

He said the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh is a blow to peace efforts. He said Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings.

The Prime Minister strongly condemned the atrocities and brutalities committed by Israel against innocent Palestinian people, asserting that Israel has exceeded all bounds of persecution in Palestine.

He noted there is widespread anger globally, particularly within the Muslim world, in response to Israeli actions against Palestinians. He warned that if justice is not served and Israel is not held accountable, it will further inflame public sentiments and anger.

Pakistan condemns Ismail Haniyehi’s assassination in Tehran

Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan condemned the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings irrespective of the motives,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said.

In the statement, Pakistan extended its condolences to Haniyehi’s family and the people of Palestine. “We are deeply shocked by the timing of this reckless act, coinciding with the inauguration of the President of Iran, an event attended by several foreign dignitaries, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan,” the statement read.

Calling out Israel for the attack, it maintained that Pakistan views with serious concern the growing Israeli adventurism in the region. Pakistan said it viewe with serious concern the growing Israeli adventurism in the region and its latest acts that constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and that undermine efforts for peace.

Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

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