Vote for JI for Palestine and IIOJK’s freedom: Siraj

Party stages Gaza march in Lahore; its chief slams ‘silence’ of major political parties

LAHORE:

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday maintained that only his party could achieve freedom for Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and that was why it should be voted into power in the next elections.

“The leadership of the so-called major political parties is silent on the oppression in Gaza,” he told the participants of a march organised in Lahore by the JI to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The JI chief maintained that PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif were quiet on the issue of Gaza,

“Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif's agenda is personal interest and their families. The people [of Pakistan] cannot progress even for a 100 years if they remain in power,” he added.

Read More: JI leaders detained for planning ‘Gaza March’

Hamas leader Dr Nawaf Takruri also addressed the participants of the Gaza march online.

The JI chief lashed out at the “silence” of the Muslim rulers on the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. “If they can’t help the people of Palestine to stop the massacre of innocent children and women, then at least they can open their borders for its people,” he continued.

لاہور - امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق اہل غزہ سے اظہاریکجہتی کےلیے تاریخی عظیم الشان غزہ مارچ سے خطاب کر رہے ہیں۔ لاکھوں مردوخواتین اور بچوں نے مارچ میں شرکت کی#GazaMarchLHR pic.twitter.com/xrovYehPkU

— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) November 19, 2023

He added that the that the recent Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) i summit avoided announcing practical measures to help Gaza and issued a feeble declaration that had no effect on Israel and the US.

“We thought that the leader of Hamas would be invited to the summit and a boycott of Israel would be announced,” he continued.

Instead, he claimed that summit was held merely as an attempt to cool down the feelings of the Muslims around the world.

The JI chief insisted that the problems of the Islamic world could not be solved until the Muslim rulers combined forces.

Siraj further said today’s gathering of millions was a message of death to the enemy, who had captured Bayt al-Muqaddas as well as martyred children and mothers in Palestine.

He continued that the Gaza march in Lahore had sent a message to the leader of Hamas that they were not alone and the Pakistani nation stood by them.

The JI chief maintained that India was also afraid that if the residents of Gaza succeeded despite the modern weapons and technology of Israel, then the people of IIOJK would defeat New Delhi as well.

Siraj said his agenda was the interest of Pakistan; the freedom of IIOJK and Palestine; the return of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, the rule of the Holy Quran and Sunnah in the country, eradication of interest from the financial system, and the establishment of justice.

Read More: Students march for Gaza children

The JI chief said a time would come when he would personally lead an army from Pakistan to Gaza.

He said Gaza was being bombarded for 44 consecutive days. “This cruelty and brutality is being carried out by a state which was established by the imperialist forces in 1948,” he added.

“Before that, Israel did not even exist. Because of the establishment of an illegal state, the people of Palestine have not recognised it,” he continued.