ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan on Monday strongly condemned the “provocative and deeply offensive desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by thousands of Israeli settlers, calling it a dangerous attempt to provoke religious sentiments and alter the historic site’s status.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the action was an assault on international law and the faith of over a billion Muslims.

“This sacrilege against one of Islam’s holiest sites is not only an affront to the faith of over a billion Muslims but also a direct assault on international law and the collective conscience of humanity,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on his X timeline.

He said that such systematic provocations by what he called the occupying power, combined with “reckless calls for annexation”, endangered peace prospects and were inflaming tensions in Palestine and the wider region.

“Pakistan reiterates its urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all acts of aggression, and the revival of a credible peace process leading to an independent and viable State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” PM Shehbaz added.

Separately, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan condemned the storming of the mosque by settlers, senior Israeli ministers and officials, whom he said were “shielded by brutal Israeli occupying forces”.

“The presence and statements of senior Israeli officials, and the repugnant declaration that the Temple Mount is ours, are a dangerous and deliberate attempt to provoke religious sentiments across the world, escalate tensions, and alter the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Mr Khan said in a statement.

Mr Khan said the provocations risk “igniting a catastrophic spiral of violence across the region” and urged the international community not to remain silent.

He called on the United Nations to take immediate steps to hold Israel accountable for its actions and to protect the religious sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the creation of a sovereign, independent, viable, and contiguous Palestinian State based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Mr Khan said.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025