KARACHI: Tens of thousands of people, including women and children, on Sunday marched in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi to express solidarity with the Palestinians and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The march, organized by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religious party, was attended by members of the civil society, professionals and a large number of families.
The participants carried placards and banners, and chanted slogans against Israel as they marched along Karachi’s Seaview beach.
“Palestinians have been facing a bloodshed, genocide, bombardment, death and hunger for the past 450 days,” JI Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar said, calling for a cessation of Israeli military actions.
“The tragedy that unfolded in Gaza has divided the world into two poles: the people of conscience and the followers of might.”
Israel began pounding Gaza since October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, according to official Israeli figures. Israeli attacks on Gaza have since killed 46,537 people, the majority civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”
The South Asian country has dispatched several relief consignments for Gaza, besides establishing the ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund’ that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
Zafar hailed the people of Karachi for their show of solidarity with the Palestinians, urging them to continue boycotting Israeli products.
“It’s an obligation for the [Pakistani] nation to take side with the oppressed Palestinians,” he added.
During the march, the participants chanted slogans against continuing Israeli military actions in Gaza and urged the world to ensure a ceasefire in the territory.
Former provincial health minister of Sindh, Saad Khalid Niaz, criticized Israel for bombing hospitals and schools in Gaza.
“For the first time in the history, hospitals were bombed to ashes in a conflict,” he said, adding that expressing solidarity with the Palestinians has become a national obligation.
Thousands march in Pakistan’s Karachi in solidarity with Palestinians, demand ceasefire in Gaza
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Thousands march in Pakistan’s Karachi in solidarity with Palestinians, demand ceasefire in Gaza
- The march, organized by Jamaat-e-Islami party, was attended by members of the civil society, professionals and common people
- Pakistan does not recognize Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on ‘internationally agreed parameters’
Foreign investors to converge in Lahore as Pakistan hosts major IT expo this month
- Over 350 global investors will participate in the three-day event scheduled to begin on Jan. 17
- ITCN is Pakistan’s largest IT expo focusing on cybersecurity, AI, cloud computing and e-commerce
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host the Information Technology & Telecom Network (ITCN) Asia 2026 exhibition in the eastern city of Lahore from Jan. 17 to 19, the state broadcaster reported on Wednesday, bringing together more than 350 international investors and delegates.
ITCN Asia is Pakistan’s largest information and communications technology exhibition and conference, which is regularly held to highlight developments in fields including cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and digital governance.
The three-day event will feature more than 150 exhibition booths, showcasing over 3,000 global brands.
“A three-day prestigious global event ITCN Asia 2026 will commence in Lahore on the 17th of this month,” Radio Pakistan said in a report.
“The federal and provincial ministers, policymakers, industry leaders and international experts will participate in the exhibition.”
Pakistan has actively sought foreign investment in its technology sector, as the country’s startups and software houses have attracted global interest in recent years.
The country’s IT exports rose by $180 million to $1,057 million during July-September last year, compared with $877 million in the same period of 2024, according to the information technology ministry.
Pakistan’s technology sector is also advancing in AI and cloud computing, marked by the launch of Pakistan’s first sovereign AI cloud in November, designed to keep sensitive data domestic and support growth in the broader digital ecosystem.
Radio Pakistan said the second leg of the ITCN Asia 2026 exhibition will take place in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi from Sep. 22-24.
