ISLAMABAD: Pakistani protesters at a sit-in in Islamabad on Sunday demanded the government take “decisive action” and concrete steps for a ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of a humanitarian assistance corridor for its residents.
The day-long demonstration at Islamabad’s D-Chowk was organized by the Save Gaza campaign and attended by a large number of Pakistanis, including politicians, civil society members, journalists and students.
Since October 7 attacks by Hamas, Israel’s devastating air and ground offensive has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian health authorities.
Referring to the Gaza situation, the organizers lamented the world inaction over the misery being piled on men, women, and children of Gaza by Israel.
“We urge the Pakistani government to take decisive action for an immediate global intervention and heightened pressure for an immediate ceasefire,” Humaira Tayyaba, an organizer of the sit-in, told Arab News.
Pakistan should establish a formal team to join South Africa in its petition in the International Court of Justice against Israel for committing “crimes against humanity,” she suggested.
“Pakistan should also initiate proceedings on Israel’s war crimes in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),” Tayyaba said.
Mushtaq Ahmed, a former senator, said he came to show solidarity with the people of Gaza and to condemn the Israeli “crimes against humanity.”
“We demand from the Pakistani government to move for an immediate ceasefire, to establish a humanitarian assistance corridor, and to start the proceedings against the war crime, the crime against humanity of the Israeli government,” he told Arab News.
Maryam Nazir, media director of the Save Gaza campaign, said Israel was “weaponizing” hunger and starvation against the people of Gaza.
“We are going to stay at D-Chowk until and unless we get a positive, decisive response from the Government of Pakistan toward a peaceful and just solution of this horrific genocide,” she told Arab News.
Tayyaba urged the Pakistani government to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, including the dispatch of a naval fleet to deliver substantial quantities of food, medicine, and essential supplies.
Apart from weekly protests since Nov., she said, the Pakistani government had not taken effective steps toward a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We are now arranging this sit-in because Pakistan’s government has not yet [issued] demarche to the United Kingdom and the United States ambassadors and also has not yet raised any voice at the international level for a ceasefire,” she said, adding their efforts would continue and the government would have to respond to their demands.
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
In recent months, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, has repeatedly raised the Palestine issue at the world forum.
Islamabad has also dispatched several aid consignments for the people of Gaza amid continuing Israeli strikes.
Pakistanis urge government to take ‘decisive action’ for Gaza ceasefire, delivery of humanitarian aid
https://arab.news/jf84e
Pakistanis urge government to take ‘decisive action’ for Gaza ceasefire, delivery of humanitarian aid
- The sit-in, organized by Save Gaza campaign, was attended by politicians, civil society members, journalists and students
- Organizers demand Pakistan send a naval fleet to deliver substantial quantities of food, medicine and essential items to Gaza
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
- Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions in the informal sector are made without any taxes, officials say
- The move comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports under which only digital service providers can provide services
KARACHI: Aik, Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank, has enabled fully digital payments at Islamabad International Airport to offer travelers and passengers secure, Shariah compliant digital transaction facility.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports across the country, under which only digital service providers can provide services to customers.
Aik, a subsidiary of Bank Islami, said it has onboarded merchants across the Islamabad airport and integrated QR code deployments at key touchpoints to allow passengers and visitors to make secure, seamless, and Shariah-compliant digital transactions at all counters, retail outlets, and service points.
It said the implementation complies with the regulations and framework set by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and is a working model for a large-scale adoption of cashless systems in public infrastructure.
“This deployment reflects our commitment to building practical digital infrastructure that improves everyday transactions,” Aik Chief Officer Ashfaque Ahmed said in a statement.
“By enabling a fully cashless environment at a major national gateway, we are supporting efficiency, transparency, and financial inclusion at scale. This is not only a project; it is a foundation for Pakistan’s cashless future.”
Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. Officials say many of these transactions are aimed at avoiding taxes.
In recent years, the SBP has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption.
By digitizing Islamabad airport, aik said it continues to invest in secure and accessible financial solutions that “expand digital participation and support national economic modernization.”
