Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Islamabad on Sunday to express their unwavering support for the Palestinian people and to condemn the Israeli actions deemed as atrocities. The Islamabad rallies were organized by the Jamaat-e-Islami and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), who came together to pay tribute to the resilience and bravery of Palestinians enduring the brutalities perpetrated by Israel.
Islamabad Rallies for Gaza
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) held its “Gaza March” on Embassy Road in Islamabad, where JI chief Sirajul Haq addressed the crowd. In his speech, he pledged his resolute solidarity with the Palestinians and condemned Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Gaza, home to over two million people, has faced a relentless Israeli onslaught that tragically claimed the lives of over 8,000 innocent civilians.
Sirajul Haq emphasized that as long as the United States continued to support Israel, his party and supporters would stand by the people of Gaza against the actions of the Zionist state. He praised the dedication of the Gaza March participants, describing their actions as a noble path ordained by a higher purpose. The JI chief also raised concerns about alleged mistreatment and violence against JI activists in Islamabad, mentioning names like Kashif Chaudhry and Nasrullah Randhawa.
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Sirajul Haq pointed out that the United Nations had recognized the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and criticized the Zionist state’s disregard for the UN General Assembly’s ceasefire resolution. The JI criticized the rulers of the Islamic world for their perceived alignment with Washington, emphasizing the need to better understand the sentiments of Muslims.
Concluding his address, Sirajul Haq announced that a Gaza March would be held in Lahore on November 19, with the expectation of a million Pakistanis participating to express solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Release of Detained Activists
Additionally, JI’s Information Secretary Qaiser Sharif disclosed that the party’s Islamabad chief, Nasrullah Randhawa, and other activists, who had been detained for refusing to relocate from the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad where they were preparing for the Gaza March, had been released.
Items confiscated in connection with the Gaza March, including a platform, sound systems, and other equipment, were returned by the Islamabad administration. The JI chief declared that such actions by the government would not deter them from expressing solidarity with the Palestinians.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh addressed the participants via phone and saluted the people of Pakistan, especially those in Gaza, for staging the massive rally.
Separately, the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) organized its own rally, where MWM chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafferi spoke about the intensification of Israeli bombardment in Gaza and the expansion of ground operations in the besieged enclave. He expressed regret that the world appeared to be passively witnessing the cruelty and brutality inflicted on the Palestinian people.
Final Words
The rallies in Islamabad marked a powerful expression of solidarity with the Palestinians and a condemnation of the ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza.
