Pakistan National Assembly speaker calls for unity on Ashura, condemns aggression in Gaza

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday urged Pakistani scholars and religious leaders to promote peace, tolerance, and unity on the occasion of Ashura, which occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, and condemned Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza.
Ashura is marked worldwide by Shi’ite Muslims as a day of mourning over the seventh-century battlefield death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
“The Muslim Ummah can overcome its current challenges by embracing the spirit of self-sacrifice exemplified by the martyrs of Karbala,” Sadiq was quoted by Radio Pakistan as saying. 
In his message, Sadiq described the incident of Karbala as an “enduring testament to faith, bravery, and martyrdom, values upheld in the Holy Qur’an.”
He also used the occasion to speak about the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza in which at least 38,713 Palestinians have been killed since October last year.
“Referring to the ongoing aggressions in Kashmir and Palestine, Sadiq condemned the severe state terrorism inflicted upon innocent civilians,” Radio Pakistan said. “He urged Muslim countries to unite and voice strong opposition against these human rights violations.”
Sadiq reaffirmed Pakistan’s “steadfast” support for the establishment of the independent states of Palestine and Kashmir in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at the United Nations and OIC and demanded international powers and multilateral bodies stop Israeli military actions in the Palestinian territory.