ISLAMABAD: Anila Ali, who heads the non-governmental organisation (NGO) American Muslim Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC), revealed that her
organization arranged special permission from the PTI government for one of its members, a Pakistani citizen, to travel to Israel.
“We also got assurance that he would not be victimized for visiting Israel”, Anila said while talking to a media outlet on most controversial Israel tour by Pakistan expats and two
Pakistanis as well.
The revelation that a number of Pakistani expats and a couple of citizens recently traveled to Israel as part of a delegation has sparked a controversy, with former prime minister Imran Khan and his party spinning the incident into their narrative of a foreign conspiracy against the previous government, and alleging that the trip had their successors’ tacit approval.
The issue has been discussed at length in parliament as well as during press conferences and public meetings and portrayed as a political step by the government. The fact that other predominantly Muslim countries, such as the UAE and Turkey, are now also warming up to Tel Aviv, has also played a major role in generating excitement around the visit.
However, two members of the delegation that visited Israel have taken issue with the version of events that is being narrated by the current government and its critics.
In an media interaction Anila Ali said that her NGO aims to build interfaith ties with people of different communities in America. “So, it was a natural alliance with Muslims and Jews that we became partners and decided to visit not just Israel but Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well,” she said.
Amola said she was very sad that politicians in Pakistan, especially Dr Mazari would use an interfaith women’s organization as a ploy to distract from her party’s ouster and failures.
“Our trip had nothing to do with Pakistan and everything to do with Muslim Jewish peacemaking,” she said.
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