Students march for Gaza children
Thousands of children march against genocide in Gaza (right), while journalists hold an anti-Israel rally outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday. Photos: Jalal Qureshi/express
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, echoed in Karachi as tens of thousands of students chanted the slogan at the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi children march on Wednesday.
The JI Karachi took out the children march to express solidarity with Palestinian children as at least half of the over 10,000 people killed in Gaza by Israeli bombardments, during the fresh wave of terrorism, are children.
The participants of the march chanted slogans against the Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The children were also carrying banners, placards and artworks -- highlighting the Israeli brutalities.
On the occasion, several schools deposited generous donations by the students for the people of Gaza. Medical response camps were setup whereas water vans and ambulances were also made available at the venue.
Read Thousands rally in Islamabad for Gaza
Several students delivered speeches, recited poems and a Karate show was also held at the stage.
Speaking on the occasion, Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman shed light in detail on the spirit of Muslim Umma and hypocrisy of the rulers in Muslim block of the world. He said that some two billion Muslims live on the globe with strong armies, weaponry and even nukes.
He said that despite all the might, Muslim rulers and generals have lost their weight just because of their coward nature and selfishness.
Killing of journalists denounced
Hundreds of journalists and their families gathered at the Karachi Press Club to express solidarity with their Middle Eastern colleagues killed in the line of duty in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since Oct 7.
Carrying banners and placards engraved with slogans such as "Stop targeting journalists," "You can't hide the truth by killing journalists," and "Hold Israel accountable for journalists' killing in Gaza," as protesters marched towards the Governor House.
"We stand with Palestinian journalists," read the slogan on a large banner carried by women and children.
At least 36 journalists and media workers have been killed since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Israel's war on Gaza has become the deadliest four-week period for journalists covering the armed conflict, it added.
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Karachi Press Club President Saeed Sarbazi in his speech to the rally blamed Israeli and US leaders "equally responsible" for the deaths of journalists in Gaza.
"It's the US and some so-called Muslim countries, whose criminal silence has emboldened Israel to kill unarmed Palestinians with full impunity," Sarbazi said.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists President GM Jamali also spoke on the occasion, saying the Palestinian journalists' only crime was to "expose an organized genocide" in Gaza.
"I want to tell you (Israel) that you can't hide the truth by killing us (journalists)," he said.
With input from Anadolu Agency
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2023.