Hundreds rally across Pakistan in solidarity with Palestinians

Hundreds of Pakistanis took to the streets in several parts of the country today to protest Israel’s siege and fierce bombing on the Gaza Strip, demanding an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people.

Gaza is being bombed by the Israeli military after the Hamas group launched a surprise offensive on Saturday. Israel has put Gaza — home to 2.3 million people — under siege while local authorities said more than 1,500 Palestinians had been killed.

It has vowed to annihilate Hamas but a ground invasion of Gaza poses serious risk with Hamas holding scores of hostages kidnapped in the assault. Public broadcaster Kan said the Israeli death toll had risen to more than 1,300.

After Israel’s military called for all civilians of Gaza City — more than one million people — to relocate south within 24 hours on Friday, the UN urged Tel Aviv to call off the order, warning of the “devastating humanitarian consequences”.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have prompted protests in Paris, New York, Jordan, Morocco, Iraq and Iran among others.

After Friday prayers, Pakistanis from all walks of life held rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Punjab. The demonstrators raised Palestinian flags. They held posters that said ‘From land to the sea, Palestine will be free’ and ‘Stand in solidarity with Palestine’.

In KP, protest rallies were also held in the Malakand and Hazara divisions against Israeli atrocities in Gaza Palestine.

The Karakoram Highway was blocked in Kohistan and a rally was staged against Israel’s actions in Gaza. The protesters demanded that the United Nations stop the genocide of Palestinians.

A bike rally was also held in Parachinar.

Meanwhile, PTI supporters gathered in Kohat, Peshawar, Hangu and several other cities after the party decided to mark today as “Palestine Solidarity Day”.

Separately, the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) has also called for a “protest demonstration” outside various mosques across Karachi after afternoon prayers.

In a statement, it said it would protest “against the massacre of the oppressed Palestinian people and the Zionist occupation of the Palestine land”.

Listing two of the locations, it said one demonstration would be outside Khoja Isna Ashri Jamia Masjid in Kharadar while the other would be at Imam Bargah Noor-e-Iman in Nazimabad.

Addressing a press conference earlier this week, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Sirajul Haq had announced nationwide rallies today in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

One of the protest locations specified by the party for today is Jamia Masjid e Shuhada at Lahore’s Mall Road.

He had said that an “Aqsa March” would be held in Karachi on Sunday, adding that the party would also host a national conference on the Palestine issue in Islamabad on October 17.

The JI chief had also held meetings with religious scholars, urging them to raise awareness among the people regarding the crisis in Palestine.

In a video statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) last night, Haq emphasised that the matter was of “the oppressor and the oppressed and the humanity”, calling on people to participate in demonstrations today.

In another post, the party had shared that the JI emir met Zoë Ware, a political counsellor at the British High Commission in Islamabad, and discussed various issues, including that of Palestine.

PTI ‘denied’ permission for rally

On the other hand, the PTI claimed that party members who had take to the streets in Lahore were arrested by the police.

Earlier, the party said it had sought permission from the Islamabad deputy commissioner to hold a public gathering in front of the National Press Club.

However, in a post on X today, the PTI claimed that the local administration had refused to give the permission.

The same day, a party counsel had contended before the Peshawar High Court that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was not allowing the PTI to stage a demonstration in favour of the oppressed Palestinian citizens.