KARACHI: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Thursday appealed to Russia and China to play a practical role in ensuring a halt to the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza, calling it the only way out to restrain the Jewish state’s brutal forces.

Addressing a mammoth rally on Shahra-i-Quaideen, where the party’s 10-day ‘Peace March’ concluded after passing various districts of Sindh, the JUI-F leader said the balance of power in the world could only be ensured through the active role of Russia and China, otherwise the US and European countries would “eat away” the world peace.

“It’s a good omen that Russia and China support Palestinians’ fight for freedom,” he said. “We appreciate their gesture. But when Israel is bombing children and women with the blessings of the US and Europe, mere verbal support of Palestinian people is not enough. We want to see actions on the ground from China and Russia. Otherwise, Israel and the Western world would become a permanent threat for global peace.”

He criticised the “insensitivity” of the rulers of Islamic countries and questioned their silence when hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Palestine are facing Israeli war crimes.

Criticises ‘insensitivity’ of Muslim states over genocide of Palestinians

“And this question should also be asked to the so-called civilised Western world, which labels every Muslim as terrorist, that what action has it taken over this humanitarian crisis. Let it be very clear that this is not a war but rather a genocide. There are no symmetries that can be drawn between the oppressor and the oppressed to declare both as victims,” he added.

The key moment of the JUI-F power show eme­rged when a video message of Hamas chief Ismail Abdel Salam Ahmed Haniyeh was played at the rally. The emotional crowd welcomed him with pro-Palestine slogans.

In his brief message, Mr Haniyeh-- formerly one of the two disputed prime ministers of the Palest­inian National Authority who had become prime minister after Hamas won legislative elections in 2006-- thanked the people of Pakistan for their undeterred support for the people of Palestine.

“World apart, the people of Palestine look towards you [ the people of Pakistan] the most whenever they are tested,” he said to the roar of the crowd. “The ocean of people here shows that we [Palestine and Pakistan] are not separate or two things on earth. We are one and would remain one, Insha Allah,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2023