Palestine denies report on envoy

New Delhi: Palestine on Sunday dismissed Pakistani media reports that former Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan Walid Abu Ali, who was sacked as envoy a few days ago for sharing the stage with terrorist Hafiz Saeed, had been reinstated. A top Palestinian diplomat in New Delhi was quoted by reports as saying there was no change in the Palestinian government’s decision. Another Palestinian diplomat in New Delhi told this newspaper that there was no change in the decision which had been taken by President Mahmoud Abbas himself and that Mr Ali was no longer the ambassador to Pakistan.

Last month, the Palestinian government had sacked Mr Ali after a furious India had taken up the matter with Palestine.

“The Government of India has strongly conveyed to the Palestinian side that the Palestinian ambassador in Pakistan’s association with terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who is proscribed by the United Nations, at an event in Rawalpindi on 29.12.2017, is unacceptable... The Palestinian side has conveyed deep regrets over the incident and assured the Government of India that they are taking serious cognisance of their ambassador’s presence at this event. They have said they will deal with this matter appropriately. It was also conveyed that Palestine highly values its relationship with India and stands with us in the war against terrorism,” India had said earlier.