ISLAMABAD – Palestine’s foreign ministry has denied reports that Walid AbuAli, its former ambassador to Pakistan, was reinstated where he shared astage with Hafiz Saeed.
“We deny this information. Our ambassador in Pakistan, he is in Palestineand our position was declared by our official statement which we havepublished last week,” the ministry said.
“We don’t know from where you got this information about (the) PalestineAmbassdor to Pakistan being reinstated. As per our knowledge he is verymuch in Palestine as of now,” the ministry told the news agency ANI.
Palestine’s Ambassador to India Abu Alhaijaa, too, refuted reports that Aliwas reinstated. “Mr Walid Abu Ali is still in Palestine and there is nochange in the decision,” he said.
The Pakistani news channel Geo News had quoted the Pakistan Ulema Council’s(PUC) chairman, Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, as saying he’d asked Palestine toreinstate Ali, and that the envoy would be back on duty in Pakistan onWednesday.
In fact, the Council issued a press release in which it claimed Ali hadbeen put back on duty.
“Tahir ul Ashrafi had contacted the Palestinian government officials, thePresident and the Chief Justice and requested them (to) reinstate WaleedAbu Ali to his position as Ambassador in Islamabad. His request washonored and immediately, orders for his return were handed out by thePalestinian President. Waleed Abu Ali will resume his position within thenext two or three days,” the press release read.