PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has alleged that whenever the country moves forward, democracy is derailed and pro-American governments are installed as a step towards recognising Israel.

He said the government should understand the situation, recognise Hamas and bring the injured Palestinians [to Pakistan], the Jamaat emir said while speaking at the Gaza Million March in the provincial capital on Sunday.

He said that thousands of Palestinians have been killed and thousands are still trapped under the debris and most of those killed are women and children, but Palestinians have not begged and they have carried on their struggle against Israeli atrocities.

The JI emir asked COAS Gen Asim Munir to call a meeting of the armed forces and political leadership and give a clear message to Israel that enough is enough.

“The Organisation of Islamic Countries is asking the United Nations to do something. What have you [OIC] done so far?” Mr Rehman questioned, adding that generals, kings and “traitors are afraid of losing their jobs” if the mov­ement in Gaza succeeded.

Talking about the current situation in the country, the JI emir said everyone was well aware even before the announcement of the annual budget that more taxes were being planned.

He said the entire country has been under the grip of militancy for over 22 years during which over thousands of people have lost their lives and national exchequer has also lost Rs150 billion.

Emir of JI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prof Muha­mmad Ibrahim said over 35,000 Pales­t­i­n­i­ans, most of them women and children, have been martyred by Israeli forces in Gaza.

“This is not Gaza Million March but actually a Jihad conference for Palestine. They [referring to the government] should allow us and we are ready to go and fight for the independence of Palestine.”

Former senator Mush­t­aq Ahmed said the only option to stop Israeli atrocities in Palestine was to hold a sit-in outside the parliament, presidency and the prime minister’s house or the US embassy in Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2024