NEW DELHI: India slammed Palestine on Friday for its ambassador in Pakistansharing a platform with JuD/LeT chief Hafiz Saeed at a rally in Rawalpindi.India is serving a strongly worded demarche to the Palestine government,expressing displeasure, Times of India has reported.
In a late evening statement, MEA spokesperson said tersely, “We are takingup the matter strongly with the Palestinian ambassador in New Delhi andwith the Palestinian authorities”.
Pictures of the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan, Waleed Abu Alicirculated on social media after he reportedly attended a rally organizedby the Difah e Pakistan Council in Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.Difah-e-Pakistan Council is an umbrella group of 40 religious and groups inPakistan, headed by the JuD chief, Hafiz Saeed.
Saeed is banned as a global terrorist by the UN and is accused as themastermind of the 26/11 attacks. Saeed used the rally to call for an”Islamic summit” to defend Jerusalem from Israel.
The presence of the Palestinian envoy at a JuD rally is a slap on the facefor India- just last week India voted for a UNGA resolution against the USdecision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
India, like 127 other countries voted on the principle that the status ofJerusalem would be decided after a deal between Israel and Palestine.India’s vote was seen to be against Israel, a close friend of India, aswell as US, its close strategic partner.