ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: Hundreds of people across Pakistan staged demonstrations after Friday prayers in support of the Palestinians and to denounce the siege of Gaza by Israeli forces.
Responding to the call for a protest by various religious groups, people marched on roads after Friday prayers. They held the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans like saying ‘From land to the sea, Palestine will be free’ and ‘Stand in solidarity with Palestine’.
They also burnt the Israeli flag to show their anger at the rising deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and refuses to recognise it as a sovereign country until the state of Palestine is established. Pakistanis cannot visit the Jewish state because their passport states it is “valid for all countries of the world except Israel.”
The Dawn newspaper reported that a huge rally was held at Mall Road in Lahore by the Jamaat e Islami Pakistan, with scores of women and children in attendance. The protesters carried a giant flag of Palestine.
Addressing the gathering, Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq criticised the US and European countries for supporting Israel in its oppression of Palestinians. He demanded that Muslim countries should come together for the Palestinian cause.
“Raising our voices for Palestinians is the responsibility of Muslims and a part of their faith,” he added.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that its party members who had taken to the streets in Lahore were arrested by the police.
Several protests were held in Karachi after Friday prayers to express solidarity with Palestinians.
More than 200 supporters of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen’s (MWM) Shiite party, gathered in the Kharadar area. They demanded that the atrocities being faced by the people of Gaza at the hands of Israel should immediately come to an end.
Protester Shahid Husain, 47, said the leaders of Muslim nations were failing to stand up for Palestinians. (PTI)
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