KARACHI: Rallies and demonstrations were held across the city on Friday to mark Al-Quds Day in solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemn the atrocities of Israel against them.

A large number of people, who attended the events across the city, also demanded strong reaction from the Muslim world for immediate help to the people in Gaza and rejected the “so-called normalisation of terms with Israel” from the Islamic countries and warned the rulers of those states that their move could lead to devastating consequences.

The Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) staged a rally from Numaish to Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road, which was attended by a large number of people, including women and children, who vowed to continue their support for an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.

The key speakers at the rally included Fakhar Abbas of the ISO, Dr Mairaj ul Huda Siddiqi of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Firdaus Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Sindh government spokesperson Tehseen Abidi, Adil Askari of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and other leaders of different political parties.

Condemning the Israeli brutalities against the humanity, they also questioned the “criminal silence” of the world in general and Muslim countries in particular which has disappointed the faithful as an Ummah.

The Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) also staged demonstrations in different parts of the city in connection with Youm Al-Quds.

The main protest by the party was held outside Jamia Masjid Noor Iman where Allama Baqir Abbas Zaidi, Allama Mirza Yousuf Hussain, Allama Sadiq Jaffari, Allama Hayat Abbas Najafi, Allama Mubashir Hassan and Allama Malik Abbas addressed the demonstrators.

“Youm Al-Quds, observed annually on Jumu’atul Wida, is a global day of solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian Muslims and a protest against Israeli aggression,” he said.

“The Zionist entity, Israel, established in 1948, is an illegitimate state and a colonial project of the US and the UK. Al-Quds is the land of the prophets, and it is the foremost responsibility of Muslim rulers to support the Palestinian cause.”

He called on the international community to initiate legal proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war crimes and violations of international agreements.

Highlighting the humanitarian catastrophe, he mentioned that Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the West Bank have resulted in the martyrdom and disability of thousands of innocent children, women, and elderly individuals, which is a disgrace to humanity.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2025