KARACHI, Sept 8: Activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and the Imamia Students Organization (ISO) on Thursday jointly took out a rally at the University of Karachi against Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri’s meeting with his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom, and start of official contacts between Pakistan and Israel.

A large number of male and female students of KU attended the rally, which marched between various departments and faculties of the varsity and culminated at the varsity’s bus terminal.

Protesting students were carrying placards and banners inscribed with anti-Israel and anti-US slogans. They chanted slogans against Pak-Israel ‘friendship’, President Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri.

Speaking on the occasion, IJT office bearer Zohair said a majority of people, especially students, had rejected the establishment of official contacts with Israel by the Pakistani government.

He termed it a US conspiracy to according legitimacy to the Zionist state, illegally created on Palestinian land.

He said establishing friendly relations with Israel was tantamount to committing treachery with Palestinian Muslims and strengthening the hands of cruel forces, which was unacceptable for the Muslim Ummah, especially the people of Pakistan.

The IJT leader also announced that if the government made any further progress in this regard, students would be compelled to take to the streets and initiate a countrywide agitation against the ‘un-elected’ and ‘undemocratic’ government.

ISO KU unit leader Jamil Abbas termed the start of official contacts between Israeli and Pakistani officials as a US conspiracy against the Pakistani people and the Muslim Ummah.

He announced that steps taken by the present government for recognizing Israel were unacceptable for the whole Pakistani nation, and vowed to continue protests unless the government abandoned such efforts.

He said the whole ummah, even those people of Islamic countries, who recognized Israel, were against establishing any kind of links with the illegal Jewish state till the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.

A resolution was adopted unanimously by students at the end of the rally, which said students rejected Pak-Israel contacts and condemned all efforts to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

Later, students dispersed amid chanting slogans against the US and Pakistani governments and officials.

Strict security arrangements were made by the KU administration to thwart any untoward incident.—PPI