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KARACHI, July 28: Several protest rallies, demonstrations and public meetings were held across the metropolis against the bombing by Israel on unarmed Lebanese and Palestinian civilians and the ‘criminal silence’ of Muslim rulers over the reign of terror unleashed by the Zionist forces.
Most of the rallies were held in response to a call by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for a countrywide protest to condemn the Israeli aggression.
Various political, student and women organisations, as well as trade unions, joined in a big rally held under the auspices of the Stop the War Coalition.
The participants called upon Islamabad to use its influence in stopping Israel from continuing its offensive in Lebanon.
They also urged the government to immediately withdraw its support to the US global policy of repression, besides taking back the facilities and manpower provided to US for its military actions.
The protesters, carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans, like ‘Stop war in Lebanon’, ‘Quit Iraq’, ‘Free Palestine” gathered at the Regal Chowk and marched up to Fresco Chowk, where they staged a demonstration against continued Israeli bombing.
The activists and supporters of PPP, ANP, JSM, JSQM, Labour Party Pakistan, Communist Party of Pakistan, Pakhtoon Students Federation, Baloch Students Organisation, Pakistan Peace Coalition, Aurat Foundation, PILER, Progressive Youth Foundation and several other organisations took part in the rally.
Addressing participants of the rallies, prominent MMA leaders condemned Israel for killing and wounding hundreds of civilians and prompting mass exodus from Beirut, southern Lebanon and other areas to escape the onslaught.
The main rally, held outside Masjid-i-Tooba, Defence, was addressed by MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other opposition leaders.
Qazi Hussain Ahmad deplored that while Israel was continuing with its aggression even after eliminating several hundred innocent Palestinian, Lebanese and other civilians, the US, West and Islamic world, as well as international human rights organisations had been keeping a criminal silence.
He said that on the one hand, the US was talking of peace in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world and, on the other, it was fully supporting the Israeli aggression by supplying it more weapons of mass destruction on a large scale.
The MMA leader warned that if the UN, EU and US did not force Israel to stop its unjustifiable blitz, the war could engulf the entire world.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also Secretary General of the MMA, warned that the Israeli designs in Middle East could result in a big human tragedy. He said if the UN, European Union, Arab League, OIC and other bodies did not adopted a common line of action against Israel, the war could threaten more and more countries of the world.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and Sunni Tehrik staged protest rally outside the Karachi Press Club where speakers, including Hashim Siddiqui, condemned Israel for imposing a war on civilians, and deplored US and western countries for supporting the aggression.They also condemned Muslim rulers for not raising their voice against the genocide of Muslim civilians being carried out by Israel.
Protest demonstrations were also held in Gulshan-i-Iqbal,
Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Malir, Quaidabad, Landhi, Korangi, Orangi, Garden, Baldia, Shah Faisal Colony, Jamshed Quarters, Lasbela, Nazimabad, Gulbahar, Federal B Area, New Karachi, North Karachi and Saddar areas.
Activists of the Anjuman Naujawanan-i-Islam staged protest demonstrations and meetings to condemn Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Palestinians.
Addressing the main demonstration, ANI chief Tariq Mahboob said anti-Islam forces had targeted the social, economic and military strength of Ummah across the world.
He said the US- Israel collaboration in this regard had endangered peace but the international organisations, UN, Arab League, OIC, etc., were continuing to play the role of silent spectator even now when Israel had resorted to committing genocide of Muslims in the Middle East.
He called for a joint strategy on the part of Muslim countries to counter the US-Israeli conspiracy to eliminate innocent Muslims.
Mr Mahboob also criticised Pakistani rulers for failing to arrest culprits of the Nishtar Park bomb blast that had left more than 60 people, including the entire leadership of Sunni Tehrik and prominent political and religious leaders, dead and many more injured.
ARRESTS CLAIMED: An MMA spokesman said here on Friday that dozens of activists were arrested in different parts of the city during protest demonstrations against Israeli aggression after Juma prayers.
He claimed that MMA activists were arrested when they tried to hold protest demonstrations in Shah Faisal Colony, Osmania Colony, Liaquatabad, Bihar Colony, Golimar, Gizri, Zaman Town, Orangi, Nazimabad, Buffer Zone and others areas.
Police started beating up peaceful protesters with batons as they gathered outside various mosques to hold rallies, he said, adding that the MMA camps set up in various localities in connection with the July 30 ‘Down with US, Israel Rally’ were uprooted and banners and posters removed.
He termed police action ‘unlawful’ and accused the government of violating fundamental rights.
Meanwhile, MMA legislators have strongly condemned the alleged arrests, and said the action proved that rulers supported the US and Israeli agenda.
They said the crackdown would not deter citizens from taking part in the July 30 rally, to be taken out from Noorani Chowrangi and culminate at Tower.
STUDENTS DEMO: Students belonging to the Islami Jamiat Talaba on Friday held protest demonstrations in various parts of city after Juma prayers against Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Palestinian people.
Addressing one of the demonstrations at the Jamia Masjid, Natha Khan Goth, IJT Nazim Syed Abdul Rasheed and others condemned massacres of Arabs by Israel over the past two-three weeks.
He said Israel had crossed all limits of humanity by resorting to destroying cities and towns of Lebanon and forcing civilians to flee their homes.
PML-N: The Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has condemned the government’s silence over the barbaric bombing on Lebanese and Palestinian citizens.
Acting President of the PML-N Sindh Salim Zia, in a statement issued on Friday, deplored that the Organisation of Islamic Countries had also failed to play its due role in restraining Israel from committing aggression against Arab Muslims.
He urged Muslims countries to snap diplomatic ties with US and EU countries for their continued support to the Zionist state.
