KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq has declared that Muslim Ummah will never accept Israeli occupation of Al Quds.

Speaking to participants of the ‘Gaza Million March’ organised by his party on Sunday, he expressed solidarity with the oppressed Pales­tinians and condemned Israeli air strikes on unarmed people of Gaza.

The rally from the Baloch Colony bridge to the FTC building on Sharea Faisal showed that Pakistanis were ready to render all kinds of sacrifices for the freedom of Palestine and Al Quds, participants said.

Those who took part in the rally, including women, children and elders, waved the Palestinian and Jamaat flags. They also carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans like “Get Gaza Freed”, “Down with Israel and USA” and “Labbaik ya Gaza”.

They also chanted slogans against Israel and the United States and in favour of the people of Gaza.

Describing the rally as the biggest gathering in the history of Karachi, the JI emir said its participants had shown that they were with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom of Al Quds.

“We will never accept the occupation of Al Quds by the Jews.”

He said the Muslim countries had all the resources, including seven million army personnel, 4,000 tanks, 15,000 aircraft and 70 per cent of the world’s oil reserves, but its rulers had failed even to call a timely meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Mr Haq said he had written letters to the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Iran and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but received no response from them. He reminded Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif that Pakistan was the name of an ideology and the country needed to protect the Muslims all over the world.

The JI emir said if the Muslim rulers did not discharge their duty, 180 million Pakistanis would do it for them.

He said the JI had collected donations of Rs50m for the people of Gaza.

He assured Hamas leader Khaled Mashal that every Pakistani was with the Palestinian people.

In his address by phone earlier, Mr Mashal paid tribute to the “Pakistani brothers for expressing solidarity with the Muslims of Gaza”.

He expressed the determination that Hamas would not surrender to Israel.

Former JI emir Syed Munawar Hasan praised his party for holding the ‘Gaza Million March’ to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.

He regretted that the rulers of 56 Muslim countries “remained silent over the Israeli aggression in Gaza”.

Mr Hasan called for an immediate ceasefire and removal of Gaza blockade.

He said that Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban were fighting for the real cause of Muslim Ummah.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said the march had proved that the Ummah was united against the Israeli aggression in Gaza.

“This rally is a clear message to the international community that the Muslims of the entire world are united on the Gaza issue,” he added.

The IJT nazim for Karachi presented a cheque of Rs500,000 to the JI emir for the people of Gaza.

Later, the participants set ablaze the flags of the United States and Israel.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014