LAHORE: Pakistan Ulema Council announced to observe December 8 as “Youm-e-Al-Quds” to express solidarity with people of Palestine. Central leadership of Pakistan Ulema Council headed by Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi held meeting with Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan on Wednesday and reiterated Pakistan’s support for Palestinian Muslims. Leadership of Pakistan Ulema Council asserted that shifting of American consulate to Jerusalem by US administration was tantamount to disturbing world peace and asserted that leadership of Muslim world should oppose the decision of US president. A joint declaration was issued following the meeting of Pakistan Ulema Council delegation with Palestinian ambassador, which demanded world leadership and Muslim Ummah to restrain US administration from shifting the US consulate to Jerusalem. They said Jerusalem was not only the centre of Palestinian Muslims but of the entire Muslim world, and that holy places for Christians were also situated in Jerusalem. The PUC said the decision on part of US President Donald Trump to shift US consulate to Jerusalem was in negation of international laws; therefore US administration should take into consideration religious sentiments of Muslims as well as Christians and withdraw the decision to shift US consulate to Jerusalem. The joint declaration also demanded King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Shah Abdullah of Jordan and governments of France, England and America to restrain US president from his negative policies. Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi also demanded the government of Pakistan to play their role by demanding US administration to restrain US President from shifting the US consulate to Jerusalem. Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abdullah speaking on this asserted that Pakistan was a great force of Islamic world and expressed hope that Pakistan and people of Pakistan will play their role in support of the people of Palestine. Leaders of Pakistan Ulema Council Maulana Muhammad Ayub Safdar, Maulana Abdul Hameed Sabri, Maulana Tahir Aqeel Awan, Maulana Hafizur Rehman, Maulana Shahzad Ahmed, Maulana Naib Khan Subhani and Musawar Abbasi Advocate were also present at the occasion. Published in Daily Times, December 7th 2017.