As the press across the globe condemned the Saudi state for its alleged role in journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder, in Pakistan, a Youm e Tahafuz-e-Harmain Al-Sharifain was observed on Friday on the call of Pakistan Ulema Council and Wafaq ul Masajid Pakistan. The purpose was to express solidarity with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A press statement issued on the occasion read, “Clerics and religious scholars while addressing the Tahafuz-e-Harmain Al-Sharifain Conference urged the leadership of Muslim Ummah to get united to contain conspiracies being carried out against Islamic world and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is center of Muslims’ unity and loyalty and any attack on Saudi Arabia will be termed as an attack on entire Muslim World.” It continued, “Addressing Tahafuz-e-Harmain Al-Sharifain Conference at Jamia Masjid Marhaba, Rawalpindi, Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi stated that a baseless propaganda is being carried out by US administration on alleged killing of a Saudi journalist adding that elements who aim at imposing sanctions on Kingdom of Saudi Arabia live in fool’s paradise. He stated that that enemies of Islam and Muslims after playing havoc in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen are hatching conspiracies to target Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Ironically, Ashrafi completely ignored atrocities committed by the Kingdom in Yemen, and proceeded to say, “Some conspiring elements are designing conspiracies to make differences between Saudi Arabia and Turkey [sic].” The statement cited him as issuing a warning that the entire Muslim world stood united with the Kingdom and that any aggression against it will be retaliated. It continued, “Saudi Arabia is centre of Muslims’ unity and faith. Muslim world will not tolerate any threatening conduct and aggression towards Saudi Arabia. The entire Muslim Ummah lauds services of Khadim e Harmain Al Sharifain and Crown Prince Amir Muhammad bin Salman for the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia in every thick and thin has always stand united with Pakistan and facilitated Pakistan with every possible assistance. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are tied to each other like body and soul. All the religious schools of thought in Pakistan are ready to lay any sacrifice for defense, security and stability of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He also lauded decision of the government of Pakistan for constituting an Investigative committee to streamline coordination between Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” The statement proceeded to say that in Friday congregations, ulemas and clerics expose conspiracies being carried out by enemies of Islam and Muslims against Saudi Arabia and Muslim world. Maulana Abdul Karim Nadeem addressed a congregation in Rahim Yar khan, Allama Abdul Haq Mujahid in Multan, Maulana Abdul Hameed Watto in Qila Dedar Singh, Qazi Matiullah Saeedi in Gujrat, Maulana Asad Ullah Farooq in Lahore, Maulana Saad Zikriya in Karachi, Maulana Idrees Qasmi in Faisalabad, Maulana Abdul Hameed Sabri in Islamabad, Maulana Asghar Khosa in DG Khan, Maulana Khurshid Naumani in Bhawalnagar, Maulana Faheem ul Hassan Farooqi in Sheikhupura, Saad Ullah Ludhyanvi in Toba Tek Singh, Sahibzada Tahirul Hasan in Faisalabad, Maulana Shakil Qasmi in Okara, Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Hijazi in Lodhran, Maulana Aziz Akbar Qasmi in Rajanpur. The clerics in Friday congregations with public consent also adopted resolutions to support Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in face of any challenge. Published in Daily Times, October 20th 2018.