PESHAWAR: Jumatul Wida was observed as Yaumul Quds across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to condemn bloodletting of Palestinians by Israeli army in Gaza and the Jewish state’s occupation of Baitul Maqdis.

Various religious groups and university teachers took out processions against the Israeli aggression in the provincial capital with heavy contingents of police deployed at sensitive areas and outside the mosques to avert any untoward incident. All the processions were taken out after the Friday prayers.

Jamaat-I-Islami workers led by provincial general secretary Shabir Ahmed Khan took out a procession from Al-Markaz-i-Islami and marched on the GT Road against the mass killings of Palestinians by Israeli army.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for end to the genocide of Muslims at Gaza and shouted anti-Israel slogans. Speaking on the occasion, JI leaders Shabir Ahmed Khan, Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil, Bahrullah Khan condemned Israel for bloodshed of Palestinians and held the United States responsible for the carnage.

They said that over 800 people, including women and children, were ruthlessly killed, but the international community had turned a blind eye to it.

Similarly, different Shiite organisations also took out a procession from Koocha Risaldar and held a protest rally at Qissa Khwani against Israeli aggression.

Speakers assailed Israel for the prolonged occupation of Baitul Muqdis. The protesters holding banners and placards shouted against the Israeli bombardment on Palestinians. They said that Muslims across the world should unite and raise voice against occupation of Baitul Muqdis and against the killing of Muslims by Israel.

Members of Peshawar University Teachers Association led by Dr Fazal Nasir and Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Rasool Jan also marched from Masjid-i-Wosta to teachers community centre. They held banners inscribed with slogans against Israeli barbarism.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dost Mohammad urged the Muslim Ummah to raise voice against the injustices of Israel.

MANSEHRA: A rally was taken out from Imambargah Hussaini Mufti Abad which culminated at Khatma-i-Nabuwat chowk, with protesters demanding of the United Nations to play its role in halting Israeli aggression against Palestinians.

Another rally was taken from Markaz Islami mosque up to the Abbottabad road, where speakers demanded immediate halt to Israeli hostilities against civilian population. They also demanded of the governments of Islamic countries to ban Israeli products in their respective countries.

GHALANAI: Activists of Mohmand Welfare Organisation, religious and political parties on Friday took out a protest rally across the Main Mandi Bazaar to condemn Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, and urged the Ummah to get united and stop slaughter of Palestinians by Israel.

The protesters were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against Israeli atrocities. They also raised slogans against the leaders of Muslim states for playing role of a silent spectator in the face of the brutalities.

KOHAT: The protesters, during a Yaum-ul-Quds rally in the main bazaar, burnt US and Israeli flags to condemn killings of hundreds of people in Israeli army’s shelling of population in Gaza.

Activists of Peshawar and Kohat Imamia federations took out the protest march from the main imambargah up to Zargaran bazaar.

The protesters condemned Israeli army’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinians and also the criminal silence of Muslim world over the atrocities. They alleged that the US was behind the massacre of Muslims. The rally later dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2014