ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday observed Palestine Solidarity Day to express unity with the innocent people of Palestine facing the unabated aggression of Israeli forces in Gaza since the last week of Ramadan.
Israel has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes, killing nearly 250 people, including men, women, and children, since tensions heightened following the Sheikh Jarrah evictions and Israeli police brutality at the Al-Aqsa Mosque
On Friday, the day was observed on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s appeal to support and express solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are suffering from the ongoing Israeli attacks.
Protest rallies and demonstrations against Israel’s brutal use of force were held across the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to convey the message that the entire Pakistani nation stands by their oppressed Palestinian brothers and sisters.
The rallies also drew the attention of the world community towards grave human rights violations and barbaric attacks against innocent Palestinians by the Israeli forces. The Covid-19 standard operating procedures were followed during the rallies.
Kashmiri activists turned the Kashmiri Martyrs’ Day protests into anti-Israel and anti-India rallies and urged the United Nations and world community to take action against the occupational regimes of Israel and India in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.
National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif and Speaker Asad Qaiser, several ministers, JUI-F MNA Mufti Asad Mahmood, Kashmir Committee Chairman Shehryar Afridi, Qasim Suri, Dr Wasim Shehzad and many rights activists took to streets in extreme warm weather and chanted slogans.
The speaker along with ministers and lawmakers took out a rally from National Assembly to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.
They also presented a parliament resolution on Palestine to the United Nations representative in Pakistan, demanding the UN secretary general to make arrangements for an investigation into the genocide of Palestinians by the Israeli forces.
All Parties Hurriyat Conference led a rally from Faisal Mosque, which was addressed by Shehryar and APHC leaders Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Mohammad Hussain Khateeb, Ghulam Mohammad Safi, Yousaf Naseem and some others.
Afridi said that atrocities against Muslims by Zionist and Hindutva terrorist regimes require a response from the world as lack of response could trigger consequences beyond regions.
He said that Kashmir and Palestine need immediate attention of the world and the situations in both the territories is a huge question mark on the credibility of the United Nations.
He said that it is about time for the world to speak on Kashmir as humanity is under attack from the Zionist and Hindutva terrorists.
He said that the resistance of Kashmiri and Palestinian nations reminds us of the resilience of humans against oppression and barbarism. He said that 57 Muslim states need to roar like lions, adding that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has represented the sentiments of the whole nation in the UN General Assembly.
He said that all political parties stand united on the issue of Kashmir and Palestine and they will continue struggle for the liberation of Kashmir and Palestine irrespective of consequences.
He also lauded the APHC leaders, who had sacrificed their homes, families and assets just for their love for freedom.
RALLIES OUTSIDE NPC, LAL HAWELI:
Protest demonstrations were also held in various localities of twin cities, including outside National Press Club in Islamabad and outside Lal Haweli in Rawalpindi.
Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed participated in the rally outside Lal Haweli in Rawalpindi while Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mian Farrukh Habib attended the rally at Eid-Gah Shareef in Rawalpindi.
The speakers at the rallies strongly condemned Israeli aggression against innocent Palestinians and urged the world community to take notice of grave human rights violations in Palestine. They demanded the international community to play its role in ending the violence against innocent people of Palestine.
Pakistan has always supported the Palestinian cause. In the wake of recent flagrant acts of violence in occupied Palestinian territories, Pakistan is at forefront to mobilise international efforts to stop Israeli persecution of Palestinian.
There is also strong resentment within the public over the terrorism unleashed by Israel against the Palestinians.
