ISLAMABAD: Pro-Palestine protesters encamped in Islamabad vowed to stand their ground on Tuesday, as they condemned an incident involving a speeding vehicle that killed two people and injured four others at the site of their demonstration.
These protesters have set up their camps at D-Chowk in the Pakistani capital for the past several days. On Monday, a speeding car lost control and ran over a few demonstrators, killing two of them.
The driver of the car sped away but was later arrested by the police. However, the protesters said the incident did not dampen their spirits and they would continue to urge the government to do more about Israeli military actions in Palestine.
“I condemn it [incident] in the strongest possible terms,” said Tahira Abdullah, a human rights activist. “For the youth, all I have to say is, don’t be afraid. Come out in large numbers. The Government of Pakistan and the State of Pakistan does not listen to people who come out in small numbers.”
The war broke out in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people living under occupation. Israel suffered the deaths of more than 1,100 people, launching a retaliatory offensive, widely viewed as disproportionate, in which at least 35,456 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have lost their lives.
The protesters said the Palestine issue was close to their hearts and they would continue to raise their voice about it.
“Apart from my university and my professional degree, this is the most important thing,” Asad Ullah, a student, told Arab News.
“That [education and job] can happen any time, but the most important thing for me right now is making people aware about what is happening in Gaza and Palestine, what is happening to Palestinians.”
Rabail Shahid, another student, criticized the government for failing to provide security to the protesters in Islamabad.
“This incident happened here, I cannot even imagine, and [that too] in the Red Zone, in this Red Zone, which is a highly, strictly secured area,” she said.
Majority of the protesters said they wanted the government to take “immediate and effective steps” for the people of Gaza.
Some of them suggested the government must demarch the envoys of the countries supporting Israel and pursue the genocide case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration at the International Court of Justice.
“We feel that the State of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan should do far more than it has been doing till now,” said lawyer Humaira Masihuddin.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and supports an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.
In recent months, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue of Israel’s war in Gaza at the United Nations through its permanent representative, Ambassador Munir Akram.
Pro-Palestine protesters in Islamabad persist despite deadly car incident, urge stronger action against Israel
https://arab.news/876hb
Pro-Palestine protesters in Islamabad persist despite deadly car incident, urge stronger action against Israel
- Protesters have encamped at Islamabad’s D-Chowk for several days to raise awareness about the Gaza war
- Earlier this week, a speeding car lost control and ran over a several demonstrators, killing two of them
Pakistan, Türkiye military chiefs discuss defense cooperation amid Middle East tensions
- Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to deepening military-to-military ties with Türkiye
- Turkish officials said this month they were in talks to join the Pakistan-Saudi defense alliance formed last year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met the Chief of the Turkish General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, on Friday to discuss deepening defense cooperation, as regional security concerns intensify amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of widening geopolitical uncertainty following the Gaza war, which has heightened the risk of broader regional escalation involving Iran and the United States, and as Ankara explores closer defense coordination with partners beyond NATO.
Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye was in talks to join a defense alliance established between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last September, signaling a possible expansion of security cooperation among key regional players.
The Turkish general called on Pakistan’s chief of defense forces at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“During the meeting, besides dilating upon matters of mutual interest, prevailing regional and global security landscape, and prospects for strengthening bilateral defense and military cooperation were also discussed,” the ISPR said in a statement.
It added that both sides “expressed satisfaction on current trajectory of Pakistan-Türkiye relations while underscoring the requirement of maintaining close coordination and enhancing defense collaboration.”
Munir welcomed the support of the Turkish Armed Forces and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening military-to-military ties, according to the statement.
It said that Bayraktaroglu praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and expressed Türkiye’s intent to deepen defense cooperation through training, joint exercises and capacity-building initiatives.
Pakistan and Türkiye maintain close diplomatic, economic and defense relations, with military cooperation forming a major pillar of their partnership.
Last month, a high-level delegation of Turkish aerospace and defense manufacturers visited Pakistan to explore joint ventures, co-production and technology-sharing opportunities. In August 2025, the navies of both countries conducted their first bilateral amphibious exercise to strengthen maritime coordination.
Turkish defense firms have played a key role in modernizing Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have supplied Islamabad with advanced military hardware, including drones.
The two countries also regularly conduct joint military drills. Their most recent exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February 2025, brought together special forces units for combat training aimed at improving their ability to operate effectively together in the field.
