Under the banner of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), a massive solidarity march with Gaza drew millions to Shahrah-e-Faisal on Sunday to condemn Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza and to express unity with the people of Palestine and the resistance movement Hamas.
Organisers said participants included men and women from across Karachi, representing diverse social, political and religious backgrounds, and the atmosphere rang with chants such as "Labbaik ya Aqsa" and "Labbaik ya Gaza".
Addressing the vast crowd, JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman delivered a blistering speech denouncing what he characterised as "US-backed Israeli aggression" and calling for unequivocal support for Hamas.
He urged Pakistan's leadership to give voice to public sentiment, "recognise the position of Hamas," and to open a Hamas office in Pakistan without yielding to external pressure. He went further, asking other Muslim countries to do the same.
"The state must only be one Palestine and the leadership only one: Hamas," he said and called the group a legitimate resistance movement under the UN Charter.
He also urged the Pakistani government and opposition parties to openly condemn the United States and Israel, and called on jailed PTI supremo Imran Khan to voice support for Hamas from custody.
Rehman lashed out at regional governments for what he described as sycophancy toward the US and warned against acceptance of the "two-state" formula or Abraham Accords-type arrangements.
He declared such moves unacceptable to the Pakistani people, vowing that any attempt to normalise relations with Israel would be resisted by the populace.
The JI leader also demanded diplomatic pressure and action to secure the release of detainees seized during the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), including Pakistani former senator Mushtaq Ahmed, whom Rehman named specifically, insisting Islamabad should leverage all channels, including direct contact with US leadership if needed, to secure their freedom.
Speakers at the rally paid tribute to Gaza's civilians and fighters and rehearsed a range of political demands and mobilisation plans. JI central deputy Emir Dr Usama Razi, Karachi Emir Munim Zafar Khan and a host of other JI and allied speakers underlined that the movement rejects any geopolitical or negotiated "solution" that sidelines Palestinian sovereignty.
Dr Usama Razi urged the government to make public any memoranda or agreements related to the controversy and demanded that the prime minister retract any tweet perceived as endorsing US plans.
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