- Announces one million Pakistanis will participate in Gaza March in Lahore on Nov 19
ISLAMABAD: Thousands attended Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Gaza Solidary March in Islamabad on Sunday wherein Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Sirajul Haq reiterated unwavering solidarity and support for Palestinian brethren, condemning Israeli atrocities.
JI Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq and several political and religious leaders addressed the Gaza Solidary March which was scheduled to be staged before the US Embassy, however, the authorities blocked the routes citing security concerns.
The administration has not allowed entry of the rally participants to the Srinagar Highway, a high-security zone. Later, the JI staged its protest at Aabpara Chowk.
اسلام آباد میں لاکھوں لوگوں نے اہل غزہ سے اظہاریکجہتی کیا۔ پاکستانی قوم کے دل اہل فلسطین کے دلوں کے ساتھ دھڑکتے ہیں۔ حکومت پاکستان دیگر مسلم اور انصاف پسند ممالک سے مل کر غزہ پر بمباری رکوانے اور قبلہ اول کی آزادی کےلیے اپنا کردار ادا کرے#PakistanGazaMarch pic.twitter.com/hTy5dDEX7X
— Siraj ul Haq (@SirajOfficial) October 29, 2023
The participants of the public rally also heard the special message of the Hamas top leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Sirajul Haq said that Muslim rulers have a duty to save Gaza people and provide military and humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The JI chief said that Pakistani nation donated over Rs1 billion to the Palestinians.
He said that Hamas fighters proved that war cannot be won by the technology and advanced weaponry but by the power of faith. He added that the Muslim rulers would be held accountable by their people if they failed to help Palestinians in Gaza.
The JI had previously announced a demonstration in front of the US embassy in Islamabad to protest Israel’s bombing of Palestinians in Gaza, home to over two million people who have endured a relentless Israeli onslaught that claimed the lives of over 8,000 innocent civilians.
Siraj affirmed that as long as the United States supported Israel, they would stand by the people of Gaza against the Jewish state. He extended heartfelt congratulations to the Gaza March participants, praising their dedication to the cause and emphasising the significance of their actions, which he described as a noble path ordained by Allah.
The JI Ameer said that they stand side-by-side with the Muslims in Gaza, saying the JI had announced a protest in front of the US Embassy but the US deputy secretary contacted the Pakistani rulers to stop the protest.
The JI chief blamed the Muslim rulers for not fulfilling their responsibilities towards the Palestinians. He slammed the silence of the international community over the illegal occupation of Israel on Palestinian land, the martyrdom of over 250,000 Palestinians and the targeting of hospitals in Gaza.
He said that JI workers faced police baton charge and arrests before the protest. Haq announced to continue the series of protests against the Israeli barbaric moves against Palestinians across the country until an end to the war.
He mentioned the names of Kashif Chaudhry, Nasrullah Randhawa, and other activists who had reportedly been subjected to baton charge. He alleged their political posters were torn on the streets of Islamabad, raising questions about the motivations behind such actions.
He was referring to Saturday’s incident when leaders and members of JI were apprehended for refusing to relocate and move away from diplomatic enclave in Islamabad where they were gearing up for Sunday’s Gaza March before the US embassy.
Concluding his address, Sirajul Haq announced to hold Gaza March in Lahore on November 19. He said that a million Pakistanis would participate in Lahore’s march to express solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Yesterday, the Islamabad police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) confiscated the stage, sound systems, and other equipment from the city’s red zone, effectively preventing the preparations for the Gaza Solidarity March.
During this operation, leaders and members of JI resisted the authorities, resulting in the arrest of several activists and leaders, including the party’s Islamabad Amir, Nasrullah Randhawa.
Additionally, JI’s Information Secretary Qaiser Sharif disclosed that Nasrullah Randhawa and all associated activists who were detained on Saturday had been released, and the items confiscated in connection with the Gaza March were returned by the Islamabad administration.
