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Jerusalem: Israel removes airport-style metal detectors at Al-Aqsa mosque

Dawood Rehman 05:20 PM | 25 Jul, 2017
Jerusalem: Israel removes airport-style metal detectors at Al-Aqsa mosque

JERUSALEM - Israel has removed metal detectors from Al-Aqsa mosque - a holy site in East Jerusalem equally revered by all Abrahamic religions - following deadly clashes between the occupation forces and the Palestinian protesters.

The installation of the metal detectors drew angry protests from Palestinians during last week, with Israeli security services using brutal force on the protesters. The violence left four Palestinians dead in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, while three Israeli civilians were stabbed to death by a Palestinian who had said he was avenging Israeli measures at the holy site.

Israeli government says it plans to replace the metal detectors with less obtrusive surveillance, the Haaretz reported.

The Israeli prime minister's office said the state security bodies had recommended replacing the metal detectors with "advanced technologies and other means".

It said the new, unspecified, measures, costing 100m shekels ($28m; £21m), would be put in place over the next six months. Until then, extra police would be deployed around the site, it added.

However, the Muslim body which oversees the holy compound, the Waqf, called on worshippers to stay away from the site until it advised otherwise.

Many Palestinians had been refusing to visit the complex as long as the metal detectors were there, holding prayers in the street outside the Old City instead.

Israel said the metal detectors were necessary to prevent weapons being smuggled in. It followed the killing on 14 July of two Israeli policemen by Israeli-Arab gunmen, who police allege had hidden their weapons on the hilltop site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.

Palestinians see the installation as an attempt by Israel to assert further control over the site of their holy shrine in occupied East Jerusalem - the mosque that also acts as a powerful symbol of their national aspiration.

For Israel's government, the move represented the need to secure what one minister called "the most sensitive location on Earth" - Judaism's most holy place - after the murder of two Israeli police officers close by.

International calls for a solution have added to the pressure on both sides - which were dealing with complex internal politics too - but it is still not clear this crisis has been entirely resolved.

Al-Aqsa mosque

The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem's Old City is sacred to both Jews and Muslims. Jews revere it as the location of two Biblical Temples and holiest site in Judaism. It is also the al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam.

The area, in East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war.

Under the arrangement, Israel is responsible for security and a Jordanian-funded religious trust, or Waqf, looks after the day-to-day running of the site.

Dawood Rehman
Dawood Rehman

The writer is a member of the staff.

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Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal rates on April 01, 2023

KARACHI - Following are the foreign currency exchange rates for US Dollar, Saudi Riyal, UK Pound Sterling, U.A.E. Dirham, European Euro, and other foreign currencies in Pakistan open market on April 01 , 2023 (Saturday).

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 283.6 286.65
Euro EUR 308 311
UK Pound Sterling GBP 350.5 354
U.A.E Dirham AED 77.2 77.9
Saudi Riyal SAR 75.5 76.5
Australian Dollar AUD 187.5 189.9
Bahrain Dinar BHD 754.25 762.25
Canadian Dollar CAD 206.5 208.7
China Yuan CNY 41.16 41.56
Danish Krone DKK 41.49 41.89
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.11 36.46
Indian Rupee INR 3.45 3.56
Japanese Yen JPY 2.25 2.3
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 924.86 933.86
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 64.14 64.73
New Zealand Dollar NZD 176.37 178.38
Norwegians Krone NOK 27.16 27.46
Omani Riyal OMR 736.57 144.51
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR

77.87

78.57
Singapore Dollar SGD 209.5 211.5
Swedish Korona SEK 27.35 27.65
Swiss Franc CHF 310.26

312.76

Thai Bhat THB 8.29 8.44

Today's gold rates in Pakistan – 01 April 2023

KARACHI - The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 209,000 on Saturday.The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs179,190.   

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs163,624 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs 190,880.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Karachi PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Islamabad PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Peshawar PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Quetta PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Sialkot PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Attock PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Gujranwala PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Jehlum PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Multan PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Bahawalpur PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Gujrat PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Nawabshah PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Chakwal PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Hyderabad PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Nowshehra PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Sargodha PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Faisalabad PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525
Mirpur PKR 209,000 PKR 2,525

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