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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the recent “storming” of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday, saying that such actions were a violation of international law and imperil the prospects for peace in the Middle East.

Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday and said he prayed there, challenging rules covering one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East. Under a delicate decades-old “status quo” arrangement with Muslim authorities, the Al-Aqsa compound is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and Jews can visit but may not pray there. 

The move drew condemnations from Middle Eastern countries such as ������Ƶ and Jordan, who both opposed Ben Gvir’s visit by saying that it was a violation of international law. 

“Pakistan unequivocally condemns the recent act of storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers, accompanied by settler groups and shielded by Israeli police,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X.

“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.”

https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/1952190277935923517?t=W0wrvhTNar-Azt8ZKlX2nQ&s=08

The Pakistani prime minister said Israel’s “shameless actions” are deliberately inflaming tensions in Palestine and the wider region, noting that it was pushing the Middle East closer to further instability and conflict.

Sharif reiterated Islamabad’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the revival of a “credible” process for a two-state solution, that leads to an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. 

Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently condemned Israeli military actions and called for the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Palestinian territory.

The South Asian country last month used its presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to refocus global attention on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Israel’s war on Gaza began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, and abducted another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasn’t provided its own account of casualties.

ISLAMABAD: Authorities have warned of potential aftershocks of a 5.1-magnitude earthquake that hit the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and several other cities in wee hours of Sunday, the Press Information Department (PID) said, urging citizens to remain vigilant.

The earthquake struck approximately 15 km east-southeast of Rawat, near Islamabad and Rawalpindi, at 12:10am on Sunday. The shallow earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers, caused tremors that were felt in Islamabad Capital Territory, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Jhelum, Nankana Sahib, Jalalpur Bhatian, Wazirabad, Shahkot, Bhalwal as well as regions in Azad Kashmir.

Its epicenter lied near the Rawat Fault, a known active fault line in the seismically active Potohar Plateau, which is influenced by the tectonic interactions of the Indian-Eurasian plate boundary. The maximum shaking intensity, measured on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, reached V, indicating moderate to strong shaking near the epicenter, the PID said, citing seismic and disaster management authorities.

The shallow depth of the earthquake contributed to the widespread tremors felt in nearby cities and towns, though the moderate intensity suggests limited potential for significant structural damage. Fortunately, no immediate reports of casualties or property damage have been received, and authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely.

“Seismologists anticipate minor aftershocks of up to magnitude 3.0 in the coming days, which is typical following an earthquake of this magnitude,” the PID said on Sunday.

Pakistan’s Rawat region is situated in a seismically active zone characterized by frequent small to moderate magnitude earthquakes, as evidenced by historical seismic activity associated with the Rawat Fault.

“Local authorities and disaster management agencies are actively assessing the situation and urge residents to remain vigilant for potential aftershocks,” the PID said.

“Citizens are advised to follow standard earthquake safety protocols.”

The protocols include dropping down on one’s hands and knees to prevent the earthquake from knocking one down; covering body, particularly one’s head and neck, underneath a sturdy table or desk, or getting down near an interior wall if there is no shelter nearby until the shaking stops.

Sunday’s earthquake was the second one to hit the country this week.

A 5-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan early Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported, with tremors felt in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Muzaffarabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi and several other Pakistani cities.

The quake hit at 2:03am on Saturday, with its epicenter located in Farkhār, Afghanistan at a depth of 122.6 kilometers.