Pakistan's Maulana Ajmal meets Palestinian President, Israeli PM
PakistanTimes.net Monitoring Desk

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Ajmal Qadri who led 174-member non-official delegation earlier last week has held a very important meeting with the President of Palestinian Authority on Thursday, reports noted journalist Aroosa Alam.

Talking to Pakistan Observer on phone from Ramalla, Qadri said his meeting with President Mehmood Abbas was productive and positive. "We assured President Mehmood Abbas that Pakistan’s non official delegation’s visit to Al-Quds Sharif has not altered Pakistan’s principled position on Palestinain issue".

He told Palestinian President that the delegation had visited Israel in private capacity and had nothing to do with the Government of Pakistan. Qadri said President Mehmood Abbas welcomed us very warmly and appreciated Pakistan’s stance on Palestinian issue.

The Delegation

Ajmal Qadri, chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam said that his delegation comprised religious scholars and businessmen.

He said that he along with his delegation also met with the Israeli Prime Minister Sharon in Israel and held detailed discussions over the Middle East peace process.

"Our stance was very clear that Palestinian people deserve a separate home land and Al-Quds must be vacated by Israel.

Qadri will be returning home on 29 of this month and will be holding a press conference about his visit.

This is Qadri’s 3rd visit to Israel during past few years. The significance of this visit is that it took place in the wake of warming up of Pak-Israel relations.

The visit also took place in the knowledge of Government of Pakistan as Mr Qadri made a press statement before leaving for Israel. Although both government and Qadri deny the official consent of the visit, it is believed that the trip was undertaken on the behest of the government to test the waters.

Government of Pakistan believes that visit by religious scholars to Israel will soften grounds for more government to government contacts. Visit by religious leaders will also counter extremists forces who are deadly opposed to any contact with Israel.●