Jamaat-E-Islami (JI) announced a national strike on April 26 to protest against the ongoing military operations in Israel in Gaza and to express its solidarity with the Palestinians. The call was made by JI chief, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, during a large pro-Palestine rally held on Sunday along the Islamabad highway.
Addressing thousands of participants, Rehman condemned what he described as a genocide in Gaza, where more than 51,000 Palestinians were killed since Israel launched his military response to the October 7 attack in Hamas.
“We will apply a complete chitral strike in Karachi,” he said. “We will visit each market and ask them to close to support Palestine.” He also urged a national boycott of products related to Israeli interests and called for coordinated efforts, including strikes and online activism.
Rehman demanded that Pakistan officially recognize Hamas and allowed the group to open a representative office of the country, qualifying Hamas “democratically elected under international law”. “We are not slaves to the west,” he said. “The disciples of the Prophet (PSL) do not accept the subjugation of the United States or Israel.”
In a demonstration of support for the strike, several large associations of traders through Karachi undertook to close companies on April 26.
Friday, the chief of Ji Karachi, Monem Zafar. “We hold the inhabitants of Gaza,” said Attic Mir, president of the Traders Alliance. “We will cooperate fully to succeed in the strike.”
