Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday announced a nationwide strike on April 26 to protest Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and urged a boycott of companies allegedly linked to Israeli interests.
The announcement was made by JI Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman during a large pro-Palestine rally on the Islamabad Expressway.
Addressing participants, he condemned what he termed the genocide in Gaza, where over 51,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack.
“We will enforce a complete strike from Chitral to Karachi,” Rehman declared. “We will visit every market and ask them to shut down in support of Palestine.”
He urged supporters to boycott products that contribute financially to Israel and called for a broader campaign that includes strikes and digital activism.
The JI leader also demanded that Pakistan formally recognise Hamas and allow it to establish a representative office in the country, referring to Hamas as a democratically elected force under international law.
Calling on citizens to reject U.S. and Israeli influence, he said, “We are not slaves to the West. The followers of the Prophet (PBUH) do not accept subjugation by the U.S. or Israel.”
JI’s protest comes amid continued global outrage over civilian casualties and destruction in Gaza. The city’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes since dawn on Sunday have killed at least 25 people across the Gaza Strip, including women and children.
Israel resumed its aerial and ground assault on Gaza on March 18, reigniting fighting after a two-month ceasefire that had paused more than 15 months of war in the coastal territory.
“Since dawn today, the occupation’s air strikes have killed 20 people and injured dozens more, including children and women across the Gaza Strip,” Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defence agency, told AFP.
Addressing the rally, the JI chief accused both the government and the opposition of not doing enough to support Palestinians, but vowed to keep the issue alive through nationwide mobilisation.
Earlier, the Islamabad authorities reopened roads after the JI assured that they would not march towards the Red Zone.
The district administration had imposed a ban on all illegal gatherings in the federal capital as JI announced a pro-Palestine protest for April 20.
‘Save the Gaza’ March: Workers of JI, other parties not allowed to enter ‘Red Zone’
Security forces fortified the Red Zone’s entrances and exits with barriers, razor wire, and heavy containers while intensifying patrols and checks.
Additional police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to maintain order around the sensitive area.
The administration issued an official prohibition against unlawful assemblies near government buildings, citing security alerts and concerns over potential unrest.
Authorities urged public cooperation with law enforcement and advised citizens to avoid restricted zones to ensure safety.
Gaza: traders support JI’s strike call
In a related development, major traders’ bodies in the city have announced their full support for the April 26 shutdown strike called by JI Pakistan Ameer, Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, to express solidarity with Gaza and Palestine amid ongoing Israeli aggression.
The announcement came on Friday following a meeting between JI Karachi Chief Monem Zafar and key representatives of the traders’ community, including All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Attique Mir, Karachi Electronics Dealers Association President Muhammad Rizwan Irfan, and Saddar Cooperative Market Association General Secretary Muhammad Aslam Khan.
The trader leaders assured Monem Zafar of their commitment to stand by the people of Gaza and pledged full cooperation to ensure the success of the strike.
Addressing party workers via an online link, the JI leader urged them to intensify efforts in the lead-up to April 26. He called for the formation of coordination committees at the district level to strengthen ties with local traders and markets
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