Govt declares August 2 national day of mourning over Ismail Haniyeh assassination

The ruling coalition on Thursday decided that the nation would observe a day of mourning across the country on August 2 (Friday) in solidarity with the Palestinian brothers and sisters and to condemn the Israeli state-sponsored terrorism in Palestine, state-run APP reported.

A consultative meeting of the allied parties on the deteriorating situation in Palestine, in a joint declaration, also announced that the funeral prayer in absentia for Ismail Haniyeh, chief of Hamas Political Bureau, who was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday, would be offered by the nation after Friday prayers.

The meeting, which was presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, also decided to present a resolution in the Parliament to express full solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The premier strongly denounced the attack that led to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, chief of Hamas Political Bureau, in Tehran, terming it a barbaric act that was a flagrant violation of international laws and rules.

The extraterritorial assassination, he said, had sparked widespread condemnation across the world including Pakistan, Turkiye, Russia, Iran, China, and Malaysia which had denounced the attack in the strongest words.

PM Shehbaz said the silence of the international community over the ongoing Israeli barbarism in Palestine is a matter of grave concern.

The prime minister remarked that Israel had grossly violated the resolutions adopted by world bodies, including the United Nations Security Council and the decision of the International Court of Justice. He said the International Court of Justice has declared Israel’s oppression as genocide.

Shehbaz said preventing Israel from this genocide is a big challenge for the modern world.

The premier, however, appreciated the countries, which have condemned the ongoing Israeli oppression in Gaza.