LAHORE: Thousands of citizens including a large number of women and children attended the Gaza Solidarity March on Sunday organized by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) at Lahore’s Punjab University (PU) Campus Bridge, chanting pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans and demanded an end to Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
Hamas leader Dr Nawaf Takruri also addressed the participants of the Gaza march online.
Speaking to the marchers, JI Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq lambasted the Muslim rulers, saying the recent Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) i summit avoided announcing practical measures to help people of Gaza and issued a feeble declaration that had no effect on Israel and the US.
لاہور – امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق اہل غزہ سے اظہاریکجہتی کےلیے تاریخی عظیم الشان غزہ مارچ سے خطاب کر رہے ہیں۔ لاکھوں مردوخواتین اور بچوں نے مارچ میں شرکت کی#GazaMarchLHR pic.twitter.com/xrovYehPkU
— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) November 19, 2023
“We thought that the leader of Hamas would be invited to the summit and a boycott of Israel would be announced,” he continued.
Instead, he claimed that summit was held merely as an attempt to cool down the feelings of the Muslims around the world.
The JI chief insisted that the problems of the Islamic world could not be solved until the Muslim rulers combined forces.
The JI Pakistan Ameer said that the massive rally was a ‘message of death’ to the enemy. “Israel is an evil state created by the imperialist forces. Palestinians have never accepted Israel and they are standing firmly against the occupation forces.”
لبیک یا غزہ ۔۔ لبیک یا غزہ
امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق فلک شگاف نعرے لگواتے ہوئے#GazaMarchLHR pic.twitter.com/SL3EWeubsi— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) November 19, 2023
He said that Israeli people are also protesting against Benjamin Netanyahu. Our public event gives a message to Gaza that they are not alone and we are standing side-by-side in this Jihad.”
Sirajul Haq slammed the Pakistani rulers, saying, “I wanted to see the prime minister, chief minister, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) politicians in this march but the political personalities are currently busy lobbying in Balochistan and Sindh [for the forthcoming general elections].”
اہل غزہ سے اظہاریکجہتی کے لیے لاہور کے عظیم الشان تاریخی غزہ مارچ میں لاکھوں لوگ شریک ہیں#GazaMarchLHR pic.twitter.com/jPaJ5xo9jl
— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) November 19, 2023
The JI chief maintained that only his party could achieve freedom for Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and that was why it should be voted into power in the next elections.
The JI chief maintained that PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif were quiet on the issue of Gaza,
“Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif’s agenda is personal interest and their families. The people [of Pakistan] cannot progress even for a 100 years if they remain in power,” he added.
The JI chief lashed out at the “silence” of the Muslim rulers on the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. “If they can’t help the people of Palestine to stop the massacre of innocent children and women, then at least they can open their borders for its people,” he continued.
The JI chief maintained that India was also afraid that if the residents of Gaza succeeded despite the modern weapons and technology of Israel, then the people of IIOJK would defeat New Delhi as well.
لبیک یا غزہ ۔۔ لبیک یا غزہ
امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق فلک شگاف نعرے لگواتے ہوئے#GazaMarchLHR pic.twitter.com/SL3EWeubsi— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) November 19, 2023
The JI chief said a time would come when he would personally lead an army from Pakistan to Gaza.
He said Gaza was being bombarded for 44 consecutive days. “This cruelty and brutality is being carried out by a state which was established by the imperialist forces in 1948,” he added.
“Before that, Israel did not even exist. Because of the establishment of an illegal state, the people of Palestine have not recognised it,” he continued.
