LAHORE (HRNW) Hundreds of Pakistanis rallied across the country after Friday prayers, calling for an end to Israel’s reign of tyranny against the Palestinians, including the ongoing bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip.
People from all walks of life participated in these nationwide rallies to express solidarity with the Palestinians. Charged protesters set Israeli flags ablaze and chanted anti-Israel slogans while waving Palestinian national flags.
Israel on Friday called for over a million civilians in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to relocate to the south within 24 hours, amid the buildup of tanks for an anticipated ground assault, raising concerns among the local Palestinian population, which numbers around 2.3 million.
In Lahore, Sirajul Haq, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), led a massive Palestine solidarity rally.
Addressing the participants on Mall Road, Haq urged the Islamic world to unite against Israel, emphasising that the Palestinian conflict was fundamentally a matter of faith.
“Jehad is the only means to show support for our Palestinian brethren,” Haq declared, stressing that regardless of whether Muslim rulers supported the Palestinians, the entire Pakistani nation, from Karachi to Chitral, was willing to sacrifice their lives for the Palestine cause.
Haq emphasised the significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a symbol of faith and reverence for Muslims. He noted that they held the mission to liberate this historical mosque from Israeli occupation as more precious than their own lives.
The JI chief also pointed out that if the United States could deploy military assets near Gaza, “we have the capability to support Gazans and Palestinians”.
Haq urged action in support of the Palestinians, emphasising that while the world watched Israeli brutality in Palestine silently, it was essential for Pakistan to take a stand.
He also criticised the UN Security Council for its apparent inaction regarding the fresh hostilities in Gaza. According to Haq, some American agents were propagating against the Palestinian group Hamas.
Sirajul Haq also criticised caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar for his statement on the Palestine issue, and called on him to retract it.
In an interview with state-run Pakistan Television (PTV), Kakar had expressed support for a two-state solution, in line with the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
Haq deemed Kakar’s statement a betrayal to the Palestinians, and reminded the interim PM that his statement did not align with the vision of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.