Palestine reinstates ambassador to Pakistan: Tahir Ashrafi

LAHORE: Palestine has reinstated its ambassador to Pakistan after he was recalled for attending a rally organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) to protest the US decision on Jerusalem, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) chairman said on Sunday.

PUC chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi told Geo News he had requested Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the country’s Chief Justice to reinstate Walid Abu Ali, in view of the ambassador’s services rendered to Pakistan.

The Palestinian president has reinstated Ambassador Walid Abu Ali and he will return to Pakistan on Wednesday to resume his duty, Ashrafi said.

Walid Abu Ali was recalled for violating diplomatic norms by attending a mass DPC rally held in the garrison city of Rawalpindi last week to protest the US decision of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Palestine recalls ambassador for attending DPC rally

The ambassador violated diplomatic norms by attending a mass rally against US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Indian occupation of Kashmir

The spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants had issued a statement saying, “The ministry considers the participation of our Ambassador in Pakistan [Walid Abu Ali] in a mass solidarity rally with Jerusalem held in Rawalpindi on Friday and in the presence of people accused of terrorism as an unintended mistake but not justified. Accordingly, the ministry decided directly, from the sovereignty of the President of the State of Palestine, to summon the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan immediately.”

Speculations had been rife at the Diplomatic Enclave that the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan was recalled after he was seen rubbing shoulders with the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, declared as a terrorist by the United Nations, at the rally.