Pro-Gaza march draws tens of thousands in Pakistani city of Karachi

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Tens of thousands packed a main thoroughfare in the southern port city of Karachi on Sunday as they took out a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and to denounce Israeli bombardment on Gaza.

The march was led by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), one of the country's mainstream religiopolitical party, with the backing of several other political parties and trade associations.

Sporting arm and headbands engraved with slogans "Labbaik ya Gaza" (Gaza we are here), and "Labbaik ya Aqsa" (Aqsa we are here), the protesters rallied at Shahrah-e-Faisal. A large number of women and children, as well as religious minorities, were part of the march, with organizers claiming over 100,000 people participated.

The protesters chanted "down with Israel" in unison, as JI chief Sirajul Haq, along with other politicians, formed a human chain.

Addressing the rally, Haq expressed concern over growing number of casualties in Gaza, accusing Tel Aviv of deliberately targeting civilians.

"Palestine is a part of our faith. We will never leave you (Palestinians) alone," he said, adding that Palestinians will never surrender to subjugation.

Criticizing the "double standards" of the West, he said, the US and Europe had different benchmarks for Palestine and Ukraine.

"You support Ukrainians in their war against occupation, but justify the Israeli subjugation of Palestine," he said.

JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman dubbed Israel as a "terrorist state," accusing the US and some European countries of being complicit in "Israeli war crimes."

The conflict began last Saturday when Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel – a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the surprise attack was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007, as well as ordering more than 1 million Gazans in the northern strip to evacuate to the southern strip.