KARACHI: Hundreds of pedallers took to the streets in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Friday to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.
The bicycle rally called ‘Ride for Palestine’ was organized by the Palestine Foundation Pakistan (PFP) — an umbrella of several political and religious parties.
The mega rally kicked off from Shahra-e-Faisal, the main thoroughfare of the city, and culminated at Karachi Press Club where leaders of different political parties addressed the cyclists.
Besides cyclists, leaders of different political and religious parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, also participated in the rally.
Speaking on the occasion, the PFP leaders emphasized the importance of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“Palestine is the homeland of Palestinians and Israel is a fake regime, which is not only the enemy of the Palestinians, but with the support of terrorists around the world, has posed a threat to world peace,” Sabir Karbalai, general secretary of the PFP said, while appreciating the struggle of the oppressed people of Palestine and their courage of sacrificing their lives for the freedom of their homeland.
“Al-Quds is the immortal capital of Palestine and no power in the world has the right to change its status. When we say a Palestine state, we mean a state according to its boundaries of 1948,” the PFP leader said.
“The Palestinians,” he said, ” has the right to go back to their homeland.”
The day is observed across the world every year in line with a United Nations General Assembly resolution that called in 1977 for observing Nov. 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.