Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), a powerful body of religious scholars of the country, Hafiz Mohammed Tahir Mahmoud Ashrafi, has blasted attempts in some quarters to have a global body oversee the management of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

Ashrafi, who is visiting the Kingdom, called on Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, in Makkah and commended that efforts of the Kingdom for the comfort of the visiting pilgrims, according to a statement.

The senior scholar also told Dr. Al-Sudais that Pakistan fully supports the Kingdom and rejects any attempt to internationalize the affairs of Two Holy Mosques.

Dr. Sudais felicitated the visiting scholar with a traditional blisht and Ashrafi also presented a shawl as a gift to Dr. Sudais.

Ashrafi visited the ongoing Saudi national heritage festival at Janadriyah and also met with senior officials of Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic university in Riyadh where he held wide range of talks with university president Dr. Sulaiman Aba Al-Khail and other senior officials.