KARACHI: The Imamia Students Organisation on Friday, observed as Yaum Al-Quds, took out a rally to mark solidarity with Palestinians and reject the “so-called deal of the century”.

A large number of people, including women and children, attended the rally from Sea Breeze to Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road, vowing to continue their support for an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.

The key speakers at the rally included Qasim Shamsi of the ISO, Allama Nazir Taqvi of Shia Ulema Council, Nasir Shirazi of Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), Maulana Aqeel Anjum of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and other leaders of different parties.

Speakers say deal is a step towards ‘Greater Israel’

Mr Shirazi of the MWM said that Palestinians and specially their resistance groups had rebuffed the so-called deal of the century; therefore, those seeking to impose this deal on Palestinians would be considered traitors.

The speakers said that the so-called deal of the century aimed at creating ‘Greater Israel’.

They said that this deal aimed to deprive Palestinians of their inalienable rights.

“Palestinians and the Muslims and Arabs across the world have disapproved this deal. They have decided [for] resistance against aggression and nobody could save Israel from Palestinian resistance movements and their supporters,” said Mr Shamsi.

He said that Palestinians were suffering from the Israeli brutality since the 1940s when the “terrorist forces” occupied their land and imposed an illegitimate state on them.

Palestinians were forced to leave their homeland and become refugees for decades through massacre, violence and torture, he added.

The leaders at the rally backed the armed resistance to Israeli occupation and said that enemies left them no option.

The speakers emphasised that the Pakistani government needed to act upon the Palestine policy of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who rejected a Jewish state in Arab-majority Palestine.

“That is why Pakistani nation never recognised Israel since Pakistani nation considers it a fake and illegitimate state. They vowed that Holy Quds, the first qibla of Muslims, would be liberated alongside all occupied parts of Palestine,” said Allama Taqvi of the Shia Ulema Council.

Meanwhile, the MWM also staged demonstrations in different parts of the city in connection with Al-Quds Day condemning Israeli brutalities. Major demonstrations were held outside the Khoja Shia Isna Ashari Masjid in Kharadar, Jama Masjid Noor-i-Iman in Nazimabad and Jama Masjid Hyderi in Orangi Town. They were also carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands for arrest of terrorists in targeted killings and capital punishment for them.

A statement issued by the party said that rallies were held all over Pakistan to mark solidarity with Palestinians.

The largely attended Al-Quds rallies from Karachi to Islamabad and the rest of the country were declared a “referendum” against deal of the century, it added.

“The supporters of oppressed Palestinians turned out massively and vowed to continue their support for independent Palestine state with Al-Quds as its capital. Male and female students, youths, elderly people and even families with their minor children were seen at Quds Day rallies,” it said.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2019