KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Sunday staged the “Gaza Million March” on Sharea Faisal to show solidarity with the people of Palestine who are facing Israeli atrocities for the past seven months during which more than 40,000 people—around half of them children— have been killed.

A large number of people, including women and children, joined the march from different parts of the city in cars, motorbikes, buses and other modes of transport.

Chanting slogans and carrying banners and placards, the participants reached the key point of the march near the Nursery bus stop.

Addressing the rally, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief General Asim Munir to call an international summit and invite Muslim rulers and head of those states who recognised Palestine to raise voice against Israeli barbarism.

Chiefs of Islamic counties’ armed forces should also be called in the summit to build pressure against the Zionist forces and to give a message of solidarity with the people of Palestine, he said.

“Let’s give them a message that enough is enough,” he said. “The people of Karachi and entire Pakistan stand with Palestine. Let’s manifest their will and voice through your actions. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Muslim world played a negative role and opted to keep mum and remained static over the issue of Gaza due to the pressure of Israel and the United States,” he said.

He said that the Muslim world should have offered all available resources and its military might to Palestinians and Hamas against Israel.

The JI leader lamented that despite having strong armies, warships, missiles and other weaponry, including nukes, Muslims countries had done nothing for Palestinians.

Asking the people to be ready for the next call of protest to show solidarity with the people of Palestine, he urged them to use power of social media to raise their voice against the Israeli atrocities.

Hafiz Naeem also demanded medical assistance for those Palest­inians who got injured in Israeli attacks and asked the government to make arrangements for their treatment in Pakistan.

JI-Karachi chief Munim Zafar highlighted how the boycott of Israeli products was a very strong initiative.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2024