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‘US should abduct Netanyahu’: Pakistan minister's bizarre remark, has advice for Turkey
The Pakistani minister's remarks come days after the US captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a sophisticated operation.
Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif made explosive remarks against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and called him the “the worst criminal of humanity”.
While speaking to Geo, a Pakistani television channel, on Thursday, Asif said the United States should “kidnap” Netanyahu and bring him to court, reported the Jerusalem Post.
“Netanyahu should be the biggest wanted criminal now. US should kidnap him (Netanyahu) and start proceedings in some of its court, if it is a friend of humanity,” the Pakistani minister could be heard saying in the video, which is now viral on social media.
Also read: Will Israel accept Pakistan's role in Gaza stabilisation? What Israeli Ambassador said
The defence minister, however, didn't stop at that. On the interviewer's suggestion whether the Israeli prime minister is kidnapped and taken to Ankara, Asif goes on: “Turkey should then ensure justice on what they (Israel) have done with the Palestinians.”
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He also went on to suggest that Netanyahu could also be kidnapped by Turkey, given that the International Criminal Court had issued a warrant against him.
“Turkey may abduct Netanyahu, and we Pakistanis are praying for it,” the Jerusalem Post report quoted Asif as saying.
The Pakistani defence minister's remarks come days after the United States captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a sophisticated operation and put him on trial in New York.
While making the remarks, Asif referred to the ICC's arrest warrant against Netanyahu multiple times and suggested that nations should enforce justice, the report said.
The ICC issues the arrest warrant against Netanyahu on November 21, 2024, on alleged charges of “war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.”
A video of Asif's interview has surfaced on social media. However, HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
What Israeli envoy said about Pakistan
On Friday, the Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar, while speaking to NDTV, expressed his reservation about a proposal on the involvement of Pakistani troops in a potential International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza for the next phase of Trump-led peace plan.
Azar indicated that Israel is not on board with the idea of Pakistan’s participation in such force and would prefer working with the states that they trust.
Azar replied with a “no” when asked if Israel would be okay with Pakistan Army’s role in Gaza due to their links with terrorist organizations.
