Massive rally in Youm-e-Quds draws thousands to MA Jinnah Road as speakers urge Pakistan to take a clear stand
Pakistani girls hold toy guns during a rally to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, an annual commemoration on the last Friday of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, in Karachi on March 13, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
In a sea of flags, fiery speeches and booming slogans, thousands of people took to the streets of Karachi on Friday to mark Youm-e-Quds on the eve of Jumatul Wida, transforming the city’s main thoroughfare into a powerful display of solidarity with the Palestinians and a platform for harsh criticism of Israel and its allies.
Echoing chants and waving Palestinian flags, thousands of demonstrators marched as the city joined national celebrations of Youm-e-Quds, a day dedicated to expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Organized by Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Quds Pakistan, the central Azadi-e-Qibla-e-Awwal rally started from Numaish Chowrangi and moved along the MA Jinnah road to Central Tibet, where a grand concluding rally was held.
Pakistanis hold portraits of assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, a commemoration held annually on the last Friday of Ramazan, in Karachi on March 13, 2026. — AFP
People from all walks of life, including religious scholars from different sects, political leaders, lawyers, doctors and members of civil society, participated in the march alongside thousands of women, men and children.
Addressing the participants, the clerics said Youm-e-Quds was not only a day to raise the voices of Palestinians but also those of oppressed peoples around the world. They said freedom-loving individuals around the world had responded to the call of the late Iranian leader Imam Khomeini by highlighting the plight of the Palestinian people.
Learn more: Karachi traffic police announce road closures, diversions for Youm-e-Quds rally
The speakers said the Muslim world faced difficult challenges, but argued that the presence of a “conscious youth linked to the axis of resistance” would prevent what they described as expansionist projects such as “Greater Israel.”
When the rally reached Central Tibet, a grand closing meeting was held in which speakers criticized the policies of the United States, Israel, Britain and India, accusing them of aggression against the Muslim world.
They also discussed regional political issues and called on the government of Pakistan to clarify its position on international developments.
Women drag coffins wrapped in the national flags of the United States and Israel, during a rally to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, a commemoration held annually on the last Friday of Ramazan, in Karachi on March 13, 2026. — AFP
Several speakers demanded that Parliament convene a joint session to discuss the situation in the region and Pakistan’s foreign policy stance. They also underlined their continued support for the Palestinian cause and reiterated their calls for the liberation of Palestine.
Participants carried Palestinian flags, placards and portraits of Iranian leaders while chanting slogans against the United States, Israel and India. Effigies and flags representing these countries were also set on fire during the demonstration.
On site, young students paid tribute to the children killed in the Iranian town of Minab, while dozens of school bags and flowers were left in their memory.
Among those who addressed the gathering were ISO Central President Ameen Shirazi, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Maulana Amin Shaheedi, Maulana Nazir Abbas Taqvi, Karachi Bar Association President Aamir Nawaz Warraich and Maulana Mirza Yousuf Hussain, among others.
