Palestinian Authority recalls envoy after rally with radical Pakistan cleric

Walid Abu Ali, the Palestinian envoy, shared the stage with Hafiz Saeed, the head of hard-line Jamaat-ud-Dawa movement at a demonstration on Friday protesting the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Thousands gathered in Rawalpindi in a protest organised by the Defence of Pakistan Council, an alliance of religious parties. Jamaat-ud-Dawa is thought to be a front for militant group Lashker-e-Taiba, which is engaged with Indian troops in the disputed region of Kashmir. It is also believed to be responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks which left 166 dead.

The Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday, that the envoy's participation "in the presence of individuals accused of supporting terrorism" was "an unintended mistake, but not justified". It added the envoy has been recalled.

Pakistan has refused extradition requests from the US for Saeed and allows him to operate relatively freely. Saeed was recently placed under house arrest for 11 months, but was released after a court ruled in his favour.

Pakistan says India has not provided enough evidence to charge Saeed, and he denies involvement in the 2008 attacks. The US has long accused Pakistan of harbouring extremists, allegations denied by Islamabad.

India has described the envoy's association with Saeed as "unacceptable" but Pakistan's foreign ministry has defended the envoy saying it welcomed his "active participation in events organized to express solidarity with the people of Palestine".

US President Donald Trump broke with decades of US policy earlier this month by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and declaring he would move the country's embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city.

Jerusalem is a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the move has caused widespread anger in the region and garnered international condemnation.

Near-daily protests have erupted in Pakistan and in the Arab and Islamic world since Trump’s announcement.

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "undivided" capital, a position nearly the entire world rejects saying its status should be determined in peace talks with the Palestinians.

Under international law, East Jerusalem is considered occupied Palestinian territory.