“We now have the power of the social media. The public opinion is shifting,” he said, in a video message broadcast on television

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that it is the voice of the thousands of people across the world that will turn the tide in the Palestinian crisis.

“We now have the power of the social media. The public opinion is shifting,” he said, in a video message broadcast on television.

He paid tribute to the nation for raising their voices for the Palestinian cause in protests today and the way they called out the oppression Palestinians are facing.

“Ever since Israel was created, Pakistan always had the same stance in line with our leader Quaid-e-Azam, that is was a gross injustice towards Palestinians,” he said.

He said Pakistan had always stood side by side with Palestinians.

“I was at Masjid-e-Nabvi when I found out that when people were praying on the night of the 27th [of Ramadan, at Al-Aqsa mosque], the Israeli police attacked them,” said the prime minister, adding that he also learnt, regrettably, of how Palestinians are being evicted from their homes.

The prime minister also spoke of the bombardment on Gaza by the Israeli military — which he referred to as one of the most powerful forces in the world — that has lead to dozens of children being killed.

He said that the very next day, he met with the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and urged him to raise the issue via the platform and also stressed on the need for the matter to be highlighted at the United Nations.

“When I came to Pakistan, I also spoke to King Salman about the oppression Palestinians are facing and about what happened at Al-Aqsa, and how we need to raise our voices for this.

“The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, called me and he said the same thing, and so did Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad,” PM Imran Khan said.

He said that he then spoke to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and told him the entire Muslim world, and all those countries that advocate for justice, stand with the Palestinians.

PM Imran Khan said he tasked Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi with raising the issue at the United Nations and the OIC “and he did very well to highlight it”.

“I am witnessing a very welcoming sign, which is, that the world’s public opinion is shifting,” he said, adding that he had never before seen any criticism coming from the Western quarters, in their media, newspapers, or from their politicians, in the past when Israeli oppression against Palestinians would continue unbated.

“Instead it would be made to appear as if Israel is being subjected to cruelty,” he said.