Tens of thousands of religious party supporters rally in Pakistan against Israel's bombing in Gaza

Supporters of right-wing religious Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party take part in a march to express their solidarity with Palestinians, in Lahore on November 19, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 19 November 2023
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Tens of thousands of religious party supporters rally in Pakistan against Israel's bombing in Gaza

  • Jamaat-e-Islami supporters chant anti-Israeli, anti-American slogans in Lahore
  • JI chief says rallies in support of Palestinians awaken governments around the world

LAHORE: Tens of thousands of supporters from Pakistan’s main religious political party rallied in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday against Israel’s bombing of Palestinians in Gaza and what it said is the world’s failure to protect Gazans.

Amid anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans the emotionally charged crowd also called for holy war.

Earlier this month, Jamaat-e-Islami held massive rallies in the port city of Karachi and the capital, Islamabad.

Supporters, including women and children, marched for several kilometers (miles) to reach the location of the rally, holding banners and posters with slogans opposing Israel and the United States and in support of the Palestinians.

Senator Sirajul Haq, the JI chief, said the ongoing rallies in support of Palestinians around the world awaken world governments and give a voice to the innocent.


Turkiye ‘in talks’ with Pakistan and Saudi over defense pact

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Turkiye ‘in talks’ with Pakistan and Saudi over defense pact

  • Turkish foreign minister says no agreement has been signed yet despite ongoing discussions
  • The proposed alliance follows Pakistan-Saudi defense pact signed after brief India conflict

ISTANBUL: NATO member Turkiye is holding talks with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to join a defense alliance established in September between the two countries, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday.

“At present, there are discussions and talks underway, but no agreement has yet been signed,” Fidan told reporters.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “vision is broader, more comprehensive, and aimed at establishing a larger platform,” he added.

The Pakistan-Saudi pact was signed just months after Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed more than 70 people on both sides in missile, drone and artillery fire, the worst clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbors since 1999.

Pakistan and India have long accused each other of backing militant forces to destabilize one another.

Saudi Arabia is believed to have played a key role in defusing the conflict.