Leader of Pakistan Senate delegation to Global Palestine Solidarity Conference in Istanbul and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed announced on Sunday, the formation of a Pakistan Parliamentary Forum on Palestine, Kashmir & Rohingya, to promote and protect the cause of oppressed people. He made this announcement during his address to the Parliamentarians for Al Quds Global Conference at Istanbul, attended by 74 countries. He also invited the Parliamentarians for Al Quds to visit Pakistan in the first quarter of 2019. During his speech, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed referred to the vision of Pakistan’s founding fathers Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, regarding Palestine, referring to the resolution on Palestine passed on March 23, 1940, together with the Pakistan Resolution, Quaid’s meeting with Grand Mufti of Palestine, Mufti Amin al Husseini, in Cairo in 1946 and his letter to then American president Harry S Truman in 1946 seeking justice for Palestinians. Mushahid Hussain Sayed also referred to Pakistan’s role during 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the Lahore Islamic Summit in 1974, the training of Palestinian cadets in Pakistani military institutions and Pakistan’s rejection of the American decision to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, through resolutions passed in December 2017 passed by both Houses of Parliament plus sponsoring a similar resolution at the United Nations General Assembly on December 21, 2017. Saying that Jerusalem is “Qibla Awwal” for Muslims on which there could be no compromise, he quoted Allama Iqbal’s verses, 90 years ago, predicting the resurgence of Asia when the late poet-philosopher talked of the sun rising from the east! The speech of Mushahid Hussain was warmly welcomed by the participants. The Pakistan delegation held sideline meetings with various delegations, including those from Palestine, Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt and Africa. Published in Daily Times, December 17th2018.