Black Day was observed on Friday and a demonstration was staged in front of Jamia-al-Uloom after Friday prayers at the call of Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six Islamic parties, to express anger at the government's move to recognise Israel terming it "a stab in the back of Palestinians and withdrawal of 59-year-old stance of Pakistan on Palestine."
More than 500 activists of religious parties carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans, "We express solidarity with Palestine", "We don't recognise Israel", "Down with America", "Down with Israel", "Friends of Jews are foes of Muslims", "Vacate Palestine territory", "Stop genocide of Muslims".
"We strongly condemn the meeting of Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri with his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom in Istanbul because it is against the desire of 140 million Pakistanis," Rao Zafar Iqbal of JI said while leading the rally.
Mufti Hidayatullah Pasroori, local chief of the Majlis-i-Amal, addressing the demonstrators said: "Pakistan Muslim League should take notice of this move for recognition of Israel because Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had forbidden us from doing so."
Resolutions against Israel were adopted in almost all mosques and participants unanimously expressed their anger over the meeting of two foreign ministers and said it was a pre-planned meeting, which was arranged by the United States.