Thousands rally in Pakistan to protest Israel's bombing of Gaza

Thousands of Pakistanis have rallied in the capital Islamabad against Israel’s incessant bombing of the Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Local media reports said the Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan’s main politico-religious party, had staged a demonstration on Sunday from Islamabad's famous Abpara intersection to the US embassy in the high-security diplomatic area.

The supporters, including women and children, marched for a couple of kilometers to reach the agreed venue. They held banners and posters with slogans opposing Israel and the United States and supporting the Palestinians.

The angry demonstrators chanted anti-American slogans and accused the US of “backing the aggressor.”

Siraj ul Haq, who serves as Jamaat-e-Islami’s chief, urged the leaders of Muslim countries around the world to rise up for Gaza, and to “rely on Allah instead of remaining the slave of America”.

Jamaat-e-Islami would continue to raise its collective voice for the Palestinians until they freed their land, he said.

Meanwhile, the US embassy issued an advisory for American citizens living in Islamabad and surrounding areas to limit unnecessary travel on Sunday.

It advised US citizens to avoid large public gatherings, to exercise caution if they unexpectedly found themselves in the vicinity of a large gathering or demonstration and to review personal security plans.

Another religious party, Jamiat Ulema Islam, held a massive rally on Sunday in the southwestern city of Quetta, where its leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed solidarity and support for the Gazans.

ME