Israel must stop blocking Muslims and Christians from accessing Jerusalem’s holy sites, Pakistan’s Minister for Law and Justice Ahmed Irfan Aslam told the International Court of Justice. Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967 has violated a status quo that guarantees freedom of worship in Jerusalem to members of the world’s three Abrahamic religions – Islam, Christianity and Judaism, said Mr Aslam. “The rights under the historic status quo must immediately be restored,” said Mr Aslam as he gave Pakistan’s statement in hearings about the legality of Israel’s occupation. “The issue is of great importance to Pakistan, which is home to the second largest Muslim population in the world,” he added.
