Devendra Kumar
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Islamabad on Sunday to condemn the Israeli strike against Palestinians in Gaza and express solidarity with the affected civilians. The rally, organized by Jamaat-e-Islami, a major religious party in Pakistan, saw thousands of supporters, including women and children, march through the city’s major streets, carrying banners and posters with slogans opposing Israel and the United States. The protesters accused the US of “backing the aggressor” in the conflict, with some chanting anti-American slogans. The US embassy responded by issuing an advisory for American citizens in Islamabad, urging them to limit unnecessary travel and exercise caution in public gatherings.
Meanwhile, another religious party, Jamiat Ulema Islam, held a massive rally in the southwestern city of Quetta, expressing solidarity with Gazans and condemning the Israeli strike. The party’s leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, called for international intervention to end the violence in Gaza. The rally in Islamabad was marked by a strong presence of security forces, who had taken stern action the night before to disperse the planned march. Despite these efforts, the protesters managed to hold a rally in a major street, away from the protected area.
The protest was not the only one held on Sunday, as Aurat March, a women’s advocacy group, held rallies in several cities against the Pakistani government’s plan to deport all illegal residents, including Afghans. The group’s supporters gathered in small groups in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Multan to raise their voices against the plan, which has been widely condemned by human rights groups. The government’s plan to deport 1.7 million Afghans, who are living in the country without approved documents, has sent a wave of panic among those affected, leading to widespread condemnation.
The Aurat March protesters argued that the forced deportation of Afghans will put them at grave risk, and also raise humanitarian concerns about the fate of Pakistani-born children of Afghan nationals, who may be forced to return to Afghanistan. The protesters demanded that the government reconsider its plan and instead work towards a more humane solution that respects the rights of all individuals living in the country.