Palestine’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein and Chief Justice Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash arrived in Islamabad on Monday to attend an international Islamic conference being organized by the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) this week, state media reported.
The sixth ‘International Paigham-e-Islam Conference’ will be held on May 6 at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Center. The conference is expected to feature prominent religious scholars, spiritual leaders and representatives of various schools of Islamic thought from Pakistan and abroad to promote peace and solidarity.
The visiting delegation was received by PUC Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, senior officials of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) and the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan upon their arrival in Islamabad, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
“Grand Mufti of Palestine, Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, and Chief Justice of Palestine, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, on Monday arrived in Pakistan on a five-day visit to participate in the Sixth International Paigham-e-Islam Conference,” APP reported.
Hussein thanked Pakistan’s leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their support for Palestine, APP said. During his stay, the grand mufti is scheduled to meet Pakistan’s top leadership, including Sharif, Zardari, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior government officials. “The visit underscores the strong and enduring ties between Pakistan and Palestine, as well as their shared commitment to promoting unity and solidarity within the Muslim Ummah,” APP said.
Meanwhile, Ashrafi said the upcoming conference would serve as a significant platform reflecting the collective stance of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the broader Muslim world on key issues. Pakistan has consistently condemned Israel for its military operations in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 72,610 since the war began over two years ago, Gaza’s health authorities said on Sunday. Palestinian authorities have said that since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 10 last year, 830 Palestinians have been killed and 2,345 others injured.