KARACHI: A rally organized by the student wing of a religious party in Pakistan’s southern Karachi port city on Saturday drew thousands of participants who marched toward the US Consulate to protest against the ongoing war in Gaza and advocate for an independent Palestinian state.
The rally attendees chanted slogans against the US and Israel while carrying Palestinian flags and large banners that read “Stop the Genocide in Gaza.”
Organized by the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, with affiliation with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party, the march brought together students from various universities, professional education institutions and colleges.
The JI and its student wing have previously organized similar demonstrations to protest the war in Israel that has claimed nearly 38,000 lives, mostly women and children, since it began on October 7, 2023.
“The Pakistani student community and youth will not accept any two-state solution and will only accept an independent and sovereign Palestinian state,” said Hasan Bilal Hashmi, the top leader of the student wing in Karachi, during the rally, as per a press release.
Other participants praised the Palestinian resistance and expressed their continued support.
They highlighted that the JI student wing had supported Palestinians since the conflict began and called for the Muslim world to unite to help them.
Later, the marchers delivered a memorandum to the US Consulate, urging the American administration to cease its support for Israel.
This memorandum was signed by a number of students, including many who participated in the demonstration.
Thousands of students march in Karachi to protest Gaza war, demand independent Palestinian state
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Thousands of students march in Karachi to protest Gaza war, demand independent Palestinian state
- The rally, which was organized by the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, marched toward the US Consulate with Palestinian flags
- The participants said they did not believe in two-state solution and would only accept independent and sovereign Palestine
Pakistan terms climate change, demographic pressures as ‘pressing existential risks’
- Pakistan has suffered frequent climate change-induced disasters, including floods this year that killed over 1,000
- Pakistan finmin highlights stabilization measures at Doha Forum, discusses economic cooperation with Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday described climate change and demographic pressures as “pressing existential risks” facing the country, calling for urgent climate financing.
The finance minister was speaking as a member of a high-level panel at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum, which is being held from Dec. 6–7 in the Qatari capital. Aurangzeb was invited as a speaker on the discussion titled: ‘Global Trade Tensions: Economic Impact and Policy Responses in MENA.’
“He reaffirmed that while Pakistan remained vigilant in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, the more pressing existential risks were climate change and demographic pressures,” the Finance Division said.
Pakistan has suffered repeated climate disasters in recent years, most notably the 2022 super-floods that submerged one-third of the country, displaced millions and caused an estimated $30 billion in losses.
This year’s floods killed over 1,000 people and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure. Scientists say Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Aurangzeb has previously said climate change and Pakistan’s fast-rising population are the only two factors that can hinder the South Asian country’s efforts to become a $3 trillion economy in the future.
The finance minister noted that this year’s floods in Pakistan had shaved at least 0.5 percent off GDP growth, calling for urgent climate financing and investment in resilient infrastructure.
When asked about Pakistan’s fiscal resilience and capability to absorb external shocks, Aurangzeb said Islamabad had rebuilt fiscal buffers. He pointed out that both the primary fiscal balance and current account had returned to surplus, supported significantly by strong remittance inflows of $18–20 billion annually from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.
Separately, Aurangzeb met his Qatari counterpart Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari to discuss bilateral cooperation.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic ties, particularly by maximizing opportunities created through the newly concluded GCC–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, expanding trade flows, and deepening energy cooperation, including long-term LNG collaboration,” the finance ministry said.
The two also discussed collaboration on digital infrastructure, skills development and regulatory reform. They agreed to establish structured mechanisms to continue joint work in trade diversification, technology, climate resilience, and investment facilitation, the finance ministry said.
