Saudi Arabia Solidarity Day on April 3

LAHORE: Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and affiliated religious bodies will observe ‘Saudi Arabia Solidarity Day’ on Friday, April 3, to express solidarity with Riyadh against the threats to its security and integrity.
PUC and its affiliated Wafaqul Masajid Pakistan (WMP) would hold rallies, seminars and meetings to highlight the conspiracies against the Muslim holy land and to reaffirm the pledge for defending the holy land at all costs as already expressed by the majority of religious and political parties in the country and the government, said PUC President Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi addressing a press conference on Monday.
He warned that Yemen crisis was not a Shia-Sunni clash as portrayed by certain groups in the country; it was a plain rebellion against a legitimate government and endeavours to confine the rebellion and keep it from spilling to bordering countries, especially Saudi Arabia. He warned that Yemeni rebels had become an imminent threat for neighbouring and regional countries while Saudi Arabia had always been a trustworthy friend that helped Islamabad in every hour of trial, and the centre of Islamic world.
He praised the prime minister for announcing military help for Riyadh, saying the decision truly expressed the sentiments of Pakistani nation. Without naming anyone, he warned those threatening to attack Haramain Sharifain and said that the entire nation would give such people a strong reply.
To a question, Ashrafi said that as long as Iran continued to interfere in Yemen’s internal affairs and support Houthi rebels militarily and financially, the mediation by Muslim countries like Pakistan, Turkey, would face tough challenges to bear any fruit.
He said Pakistan must keep its independent foreign policy of non-interference in other countries, but warned that unless a certain country continued to interfere in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, lasting peace in the Middle East would remain an elusive dream.