Riyadh - Arab Today
Pakistan has strongly condemned the launching of ballistic missile toward the holy city of Makkah.
The Pakistani Senate called on the OIC and the UN Security Council to take notice of flouting the sanctity of religious holy places which amounts to encroachment upon the religious sanctity of over a billion Muslims.
The ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militias targeting Makkah on Oct.27 evoked widespread condemnation from key world leaders, foreign ambassadors in Riyadh and prominent organizations.
The missile was intercepted by Saudi ground forces and downed 65 km from the holy city.
Pakistani Ambassador Manzoor Ul Haq confirmed the decision made by Pakistan’s Senate, which unanimously condemned the launch of the ballistic missile. The upper house of the legislature unanimously adopted a draft resolution submitted by the head of the ruling party in the chamber, Raja Zafarul Haq.
The resolution demanded the UN Security Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation take strict action against those responsible for the attempted attack on the most sacred spot for a billion Muslims around the world, which hurt the feelings of the people of Pakistan and the Islamic nation as a whole.
The resolution stressed that Pakistan lends its full support for the Kingdom in the defense of the sanctity of the holy places, which is the hub of the Islamic nation.
Ambassador Haq in an earlier statement said: “The news of a missile attack targeting the holy city is shocking for every Muslim. We strongly condemn any attack against Makkah or any other part of the Kingdom.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy a deep and longstanding bond based on their common faith and geopolitical interests. A large number of Pakistanis work in the Kingdom.
For the second time in 2016, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid an official visit to Riyadh in March. He took part in the closing ceremony of the Northern Thunder military exercise in the Saudi desert. It was also the second time that the prime minister was accompanied by Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif on a trip to the Kingdom.
Military contacts between Islamabad and Riyadh have been maintained for several decades. The first bilateral agreements were signed back in the 1960’s. In the 1980’s, two teams of Pakistani ground troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Arab News