ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday urged all Muslim countries to unite to confront Israeli aggression.
He made the remarks while addressing a session of the National Assembly. He noted Israel attacked Iran last night, targeted its military installations, and martyred its military leaders.
“In this entire situation, Israel is not acting alone,” he remarked.
He said Iran is a neighboring country of Pakistan and “we have centuries-old relations”.
“In this time of trial, we stand by Iran in every way. We will protect Iranian interests. Iranians are our brothers, and their grief and pain are shared.”
He stressed that a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should be called and that all Muslim nations must unite to confront Israel.
The minister added that even non-Muslim populations in Western countries are protesting against Israel. “Their conscience has awakened,” he said.
Khawaja Asif reaffirmed that Pakistan has maintained a consistent stance from the very beginning, neither recognising Israel nor establishing any diplomatic relations.
He called on all Muslim countries to sever ties with Israel, stating that its hands are stained with the blood of Muslims and should therefore be rejected.
Commenting on tensions with India, Khawaja Asif said that India had paid a heavy price for its aggression against Pakistan. He added that the Indian leadership faced humiliation and that its carefully crafted international image had been exposed as false.
“Our armed forces’ strength and the public’s resolve made this possible—we brought an enemy five times our size to its knees,” he said.
