Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman announced on Sunday that the party is putting its routine activities on hold to fully focus on nationwide protests in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the decision comes in response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza. “From today, Jamaat-e-Islami is suspending all normal activities,” he declared.
He also revealed the party’s protest schedule, starting with countrywide demonstrations on Friday, April 11. This will be followed by a “Palestine March” in Karachi on April 13, and a protest march towards the US embassy in Islamabad on April 20.
He said a delegation of Pakistani lawmakers would engage with Muslim-majority countries including Türkiye, Iran, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, urging them to help lift the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Hafiz Naeem criticized the global silence on the situation in Palestine, saying the West has shown its true face. “The US, UK, and Europe are just as brutal today as they were in the Dark Ages,” he remarked.
He also expressed disappointment over the inaction of Muslim nations. “Their silence is shameful. Had they acted with even a bit of honour, Gaza might have been spared the suffering,” he added.
Reaffirming his party’s stance, Hafiz Naeem said JI will continue raising the issue at every forum, including with the government. “Even during our last meeting with the prime minister, we brought up the ongoing massacre in Gaza,” he said.
