PESHAWAR: Rallies were held in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the provincial capital, to mark Al-Quds Day, with the protesters demanding that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) declare Jihad (holy war) to liberate Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque from the Israeli occupation.

In Peshawar, the rally was held under the aegis of Tehreek-i-Azadi Quds, wherein the speakers said that the US and Israel had established their hegemony over Muslim countries.

The gathering was held after the Friday prayers, where participants expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine.

The gathering was addressed by the provincial president of Imamia Students Organisation Hajat Hussain, Maulana Syed Alam Shah, Allama Syed Zafar Naqvi, Maulana Yawar Abbas Khalil and Akhundzada Muzaffar Ali.

Al-Quds Day observed in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The speakers condemned the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, Israel’s illegal occupation of Jerusalem and the barbaric bombardment of Palestine.

They paid tribute to the vision of the Founder of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini, stating that he had dedicated this day as Al-Quds Day for the freedom of Jerusalem and support for the oppressed Palestinians.

Amidst chants of ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ (God is great), the gathering passed a resolution urging the OIC and all other Muslim countries to ‘not remain confined to just passing resolutions’ but to practically declare Jihad against Israel.

The participants torched flags of Israel, India and the USA and portraits of Donald Trump, Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu. Throughout the rally, the atmosphere resonated with slogans of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’.

In Dera Ismail Khan, Al-Quds Day rallies were held in the city, with participants expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and calling for the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem from the Israeli occupation.

A rally was organised by members of the Shia community and the Shia Ulema Council after Friday prayers outside Kotli Imam Hussain. A large number of citizens, religious leaders and youth participated in the procession, carrying banners and placards highlighting the issue of Palestine and the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Speakers at the gathering said that Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem were sacred to Muslims and that the continued Israeli control over the site was unacceptable to the Muslim world. They said the Palestinian people had been facing oppression for decades, but their struggle for freedom continued.

They urged Muslim countries to adopt a united stance on the Palestinian issue and stressed that the cause of Al-Aqsa was not limited to Palestinians alone but concerned the entire Muslim world.

Separately, another rally was organised by the Imamia Students Organisation and Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM). The procession started from Masjid Lato Faqir and proceeded to Ghaas Mor in the city.

The rally was attended by office-bearers and workers of ISO and MWM, along with a large number of residents.

Addressing the participants at the concluding gathering, the speakers reiterated their support for the Palestinian cause and called for the protection of Al-Aqsa Mosque, describing it as the first Qibla of Muslims.

They said the annual observance of Al-Quds Day served as a reminder that Muslims around the world continued to support the rights of the Palestinian people. Both rallies concluded peacefully after prayers for the people of Palestine.

In Kurram, thousands of people participated in a rally held in Parachinar on the occasion of Al-Quds Day.

The participants expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and Iran, raised slogans against America and Israel, and carried banners and pictures of the deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The participants reached Shaheed Park after passing through different routes, where Allama Abid Hussain Al-Hussaini, Allama Fida Hussain Mazaheri, Allama Tajammal Hussain, Allama Akhlaq Hussain Shariati and others condemned the unjustified attacks on Iran by America and Israel and the brutal bombing of a school in Minab. The speakers said that Iran had ‘destroyed the arrogance of superpowers’ through its ‘steadfastness and resistance’.

The speakers further said that the slogan of the founder of the Islamic Revolution was proving true today, that the superpower belonged only to Allah. He said that the martyrdom of innocent oppressed people in Iran was paying off, and God willing, the oppressors would be destroyed soon.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2026