RAWALPINDI: Hundreds of people belonging to religious and political parties on Friday flooded roads and streets in Rawalpindi and nearby cities and towns in support of the Palestinian people and condemning Israel for its air strikes on Gaza in which civilians, including children and women, have been martyred.

Chanting slogans of ‘Allah o Akbar’, ‘Al Jihad’, ‘Save Palestine’, ‘Crush Israel’, ‘Stop Bloodshed in Palestine’, ‘Down with USA and UN’ and ‘No to the occupation,’ the participants of rallies waved the flags of Palestine.

Earlier, special prayers were offered in mosques during Friday prayers for safety of the Palestinians.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) took out a rally to express solidarity with Palestinians facing Israeli oppression in Gaza, Khan Younas and other areas.

Protesters call upon Muslim countries to raise voice for protection of Palestinians against Israeli aggression

The rally titled “Down with Israel” started from Taleemul Quran Madressah in Raja Bazaar and culminated at Fawara Chowk where speakers addressed the participants.

Prominent among the speakers were JUI-F Pakistan Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, district emir Dr Ziaur Rehman, Arshad Abbasi, Maulana Ashraf Ali and Ziaullah.

The speakers condemned Israeli air strikes on Palestine and urged the international comity to play its role to stop the Jewish lobby from shedding blood of innocent Palestinians. They also urged the Pakistan government to come forward to save the people of Palestine.

A protest demonstration was also held under the PML-N in front of Rawalpindi Press Club which was attended by a large number of workers and leaders of the party. Led by PML-N divisional president Rana Ashfaq, the participants chanted slogans against Israel, the USA and in favour of Palestine and Hamas.

The speakers asked the world community to support the innocent people of Palestinine.

Hundreds of workers and leaders of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, Imamia Students Organisation and Shia Ulema Council also took to the streets in Satellite Town after Friday prayers to condemn the Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

“No to the occupation” and “No to America,” chanted the demonstrators, who were also holding the flag of Palestine.

“This rally is aimed at condemning what is happening in occupied Palestine, the bloodletting and violation of the rights of the Palestinians,” said Ijaz Mousavi, Allama Awan Shirazi and others.

Also, the Muslim Student Organisation took out a “Down with Israel” rally while chanting slogans against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Natanyahu and US President Joe Biden.

“We the Pakistani nation are standing by the Palestinians at this hard time,” said the speakers.

Tehrik Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Adiala chapter and Jamat-i-Islami also took out rallies and condemned Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

The protesters waved Palestinian flags besides chanting slogans of Jihad against Israel.

They urged the government of Pakistan to call back the national cricket team from World Cup being played in India as the Modi government has announced its support for Israel.

Taxila

Protesters belonging to different walks of life gathered at Taxila Chowk on GT Road to express solidarity with the people of Palestine, raise voice against Israel’s atrocities and the illegal occupation of their land.

Waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans “Labaik ya Aqsa”, and “Down with Israel”, the protesters rallied at Faisal Shaheed Road and dispersed at Taxila Chowk where local leaders from different religious and political parties spoke.

The speakers drew attention of the world community towards the grave human rights violations and barbaric attacks on innocent Palestinians by the Israeli forces.

JI local leader Attique Kashmiri demanded that Muslim world leaders should “break the chains of silence” and speak up for their brothers and sisters, according to a statement.

Speaking on the occasion, JUI local leader Iqbal Farooqi said the entire Pakistani nation stands by the Palestinian people in this hour of trial. He said the world community must play its role for the resolution of the lingering dispute.

PTI leader Malik Mohammad Pervaiz demanded that the atrocities being faced by the people of Gaza at the hands of Israel should immediately come to an end.

Attock

JUI-F and Jamaat Islami (JI) separately organised two rallies to express solidarity with besieged people of Gaza.

The JUI-F local leaders while addressing the participants of the rally at Kutchery Chowk criticised the US and European countries for supporting Israel.

JI North Punjab General SecretaryIqbal Khan demanded that Muslim countries should unite for the Palestinian cause. He said the United States had sent its naval fleet for the defence of Israel and Muslim countries should extend more diplomatic and political support to Palestine.

Gilgit

Thousands of people across Gilgit-Baltistan also took to the streets in solidarity with the Palestine people and against Israel’s air strikes on Gaza.

The protesters blocked various roads, chanted slogans against Israel and America for killing targeting the civilian population in Gaza. The protest demonstrations were held in Gilgit, Skardu, Ghanche, Shigar, Kharmang, Nagar, Astore and Hunza.

The demonstrators raised Palestinian flags and held posters that said, “From land to the sea, Palestine will be free’ and ‘Stand in solidarity with Palestine.’ The participants also burned the Israeli flags.

The main protest demonstration was held at Etihad Chowk Gilgit, where people from all political and religious parties participated.

Opposition leader Kazim Mesum and other speakers condemned Israel’s attacks and killing of Palestinian people. They urged the international community to play its role to stop Israel from its aggression on the Palestinians. They said world leaders were silent on Israel’s terrorism in Palestine, and the Islamic world needed to stand up in favour of the Palestinians.

— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal and Jamil Nagri

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2023