By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) – Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators rallied in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi to demand an end to Israel's hostilities in the battered Gaza Strip, which reached on Sunday a grim 100-day mark.
Protesters marched on different roads, waving tri-color Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyeh scarves, before congregating on Shar-e-Faisal, the city's busiest road.
The rally was organized by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the country's mainstream religiopolitical party, and was attended by a large number of women and children, including many of them wearing headbands engraved with pro-Palestine slogans.
Local Christian and Hindu leaders were also among the attendees.
Local security officials and observers estimated that 20,000 to 25,000 people attended the rally.
"Stop genocide in Gaza," a huge banner emblazoned with images of Israeli bombing victims read.
"Hats off South Africa," read another banner carried by protesters in an apparent reference to the country's filing of a case against Tel Aviv in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), describing Israeli actions in Gaza as "genocide."
Protesters chanted slogans such as "Labbaik ya Gaza (Gaza we are here)," "Labbaik ya Aqsa (Aqsa we are here)," and "We Stand with Hamas."
Addressing the rally, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman condemned the US and Europe for "supporting Palestinians' genocide" being committed by Israeli forces.
"This is the message for the US and Israel that we will not surrender. The only choice for you is to concede," Rehman said, adding that Pakistanis will continue to stand alongside Palestinians.
Hailing South Africa for taking the Palestinians' case to the ICJ, he said the case is a test for the international community, which has failed to stop the ongoing "genocide" in Gaza.
He underscored that South Africa’s actions have left both America and Israel in a state of bewilderment.
Rehman also expressed regret, lamenting that Pakistan did not take the initiative in bringing Israel to the international court over the Gaza offensive.
Yunus Sohan, a Christian leader, in his address to the gathering also urged the UN Security Council to ensure an immediate cease-fire to avoid a "total collapse" in Gaza.
Pakistan has seen massive pro-Palestine protests since the launch of the Israeli invasion on Oct.7.
Islamabad does not recognize Israel but supports a two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group which Tel Aviv claims killed 1,200 people in Israel.
At least 23,968 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 60,582 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.