LAHORE: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday said no external power can impose a solution on the people of Palestine and that only Palestinians themselves must decide whether a two-state formula suits them.
Addressing a press conference at Jamia Ashrafia, the veteran cleric reiterated Pakistan’s historic refusal to recognise Israel, recalling Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s declaration of the Zionist state as illegitimate.
He criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a “criminal” already indicted by the International Court of Justice, and condemned the United States for “shielding him despite global outrage”. Fazl commended countries that staged walkouts during Netanyahu’s recent United Nations General Assembly address, saying they deserved “the warmest salute.”
With Gaza still under relentless bombardment — where at least 67,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 168,000 injured since October 2023 — the JUI-F chief warned that sidelining Hamas would make any ceasefire initiative meaningless.
Suspicion Over Trump’s Peace Plan
Questioning the recently publicised Gaza ceasefire proposal by US President Donald Trump, Fazl said the “Trump-Netanyahu narrative” could be a “ploy for further expansion rather than peace.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking on Geo News on Tuesday, clarified that the 20-point Gaza peace plan unveiled by Trump was not the one proposed by Pakistan and its partner nations.
Dar said Islamabad had submitted amendments to Trump’s team within 24 hours of receiving their initial draft, but Washington’s final version “did not incorporate all our changes.” While Pakistan joined several countries in appreciating Trump’s diplomatic effort, Dar stressed that Islamabad would continue to pursue its own terms.
He added that eight Muslim-majority nations — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan — had formed a joint diplomatic front and were preparing to meet Trump to negotiate a mutually acceptable framework.
Trump, appearing alongside Netanyahu earlier this week, claimed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Asim Munir had fully endorsed his proposal — an assertion that has sparked political backlash at home.
Just hours before Trump’s statement, PM Shehbaz had publicly welcomed the plan, calling it a “step towards durable peace,” prompting Fazlur Rehman to urge the government to reflect on whether Pakistan was “retreating from its principled stance.”
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‘Israel’s Apology to Qatar Not Enough’
Commenting on Israel’s apology over its attack targeting Qatar, Fazl dismissed it as insufficient for the Muslim world and the people of Palestine.
Turning his ire towards domestic politics, he criticised Pakistani leaders for “stoking provincialism” and failing to uphold constitutional responsibilities, accusing them of “incompetent governance at a time of historic trials.”
He concluded by urging the government to stand firm on Palestine, saying, “History does not forgive those who trade principles for convenience.”
