Daily Times

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq expressed unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in his address to the Gaza March participants on Sunday, condemning Israeli atrocities.

The JI had previously announced a demonstration in front of the US embassy in Islamabad to protest Israel’s bombing of Palestinians in Gaza, home to over two million people who have endured a relentless Israeli onslaught that claimed the lives of over 8,000 innocent civilians.

Siraj affirmed that as long as the United States supported Israel, they would stand by the people of Gaza against the Jewish state. He extended heartfelt congratulations to the Gaza March participants, praising their dedication to the cause and emphasising the significance of their actions, which he described as a noble path ordained by Allah. The JI Amir further touched upon recent incidents involving their party workers in Islamabad, where they faced mistreatment and violence.

He mentioned the names of Kashif Chaudhry, Nasrullah Randhawa, and other activists who had reportedly been subjected to baton charge. He alleged their political posters were torn on the streets of Islamabad, raising questions about the motivations behind such actions. He was referring to Saturday’s incident when leaders and members of JI were apprehended for refusing to relocate and move away from diplomatic enclave in Islamabad where they were gearing up for Sunday’s Gaza March before the US embassy.

Islamabad police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) confiscated the stage, sound systems, and other equipment from the city’s red zone, effectively preventing the preparations for the Gaza Solidarity March. During this operation, leaders and members of JI resisted the authorities, resulting in the arrest of several activists and leaders, including the party’s Islamabad Amir, Nasrullah Randhawa. Concluding his address, Sirajul Haq announced to hold Gaza March in Lahore on November 19. He said that a million Pakistanis would participate in Lahore’s march to express solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Additionally, JI’s Information Secretary, Qaiser Sharif, disclosed that Nasrullah Randhawa and all associated activists who were detained on Saturday had been released, and the items confiscated in connection with the Gaza March were returned by the Islamabad administration.