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KARACHI: Thousands of people staged pro-Palestine demonstrations after the Friday prayer congregations across Pakistan, joining global protests against Israel’s seizure of an aid flotilla with high-profile international rights activists and a former Pakistani senator attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza.

The rallies were held on the call of a prominent religio-political party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) over the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail in late August and was transporting medicine and food to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza.

The convoy consisted of more than 40 civilian vessels with about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists and was intercepted on Wednesday by Israeli forces. Organizers said the flotilla aimed to highlight what the United Nations has described as “famine conditions” in Gaza after nearly two years of war.

“All the nations in the world should raise their collective voice against Israel’s atrocities,” Monem Zafar Khan, the JI chief in Karachi, said while addressing a demonstration outside a mosque in Karachi.

“The blockade of Gaza is a crime against humanity and those trying to break it should be supported,” he added.
Gaza has faced a significant humanitarian crisis since the imposition of Israel’s blockade in March this year, which severely restricted access to food, water and medical supplies for its residents. Aid agencies and the United Nations have warned of mass starvation and rising child malnutrition in the region, home to around two million people, where only a few humanitarian trucks have been allowed in.

Israel has launched a sweeping offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 65,000 people, most of them women and children.

The JI Karachi chief also called upon the Pakistan government to secure release of his party member and ex-senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, who was part of the flotilla and is believed to be in Israeli’s detention.

Pakistan’s foreign office condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla and said it was working with international partners to secure the release of its nationals. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised their “dignified participation” in the effort to help the residents of Gaza while calling for their immediate return.

Large demonstrations were also held in other cities such as Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad and Quetta.

In Karachi, hundreds waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans poured into the streets outside the mosques in various neighborhoods of the city.

Meanwhile, in Israel’s southern port of Ashdod, the country’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was filmed visiting the site where activists were being held, accusing them of supporting “terrorism” in a video that was circulating on Friday.

In the footage, the activists are seen sitting cross-legged on the floor while Ben-Gvir stands and delivers his accusations. One person is heard shouting back “Free Palestine” but it was not immediately clear from the footage who that was.

By Friday afternoon, at least four Italian citizens were deported, Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X. “Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as possible,” the ministry said.

The developments come after protests were also reported in London, Paris, Madrid, Sydney and Buenos Aires, with demonstrators carrying banners reading “Free Gaza” and “End the Siege.”

Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has seen regular demonstrations since the Gaza war broke out nearly two years ago, led largely by religio-political parties.

JI has also given a call for a march in Karachi on Sunday, hoping it to be one of the largest pro-Palestinian rallies in the country this year.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Friday that United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan was not in line with a draft proposed by a group of Muslim countries.

Trump presented the peace plan for Gaza and the Middle East during his meeting with leaders of Pakistan, ��������, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkiye, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan last month on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

The meeting came in the backdrop of Israel’s ramping up of its military operations in Gaza, where it has killed over 65,000 people since October 2023, as well as Israeli attacks against other regional states, with Muslim nations demanding the world hold Tel Aviv accountable.

While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week voiced his support for Trump’s roadmap, Dar told parliament on Friday that changes were made to the draft presented to the US officials by the eight Muslim nations, following consultations among them.

“I have made it clear that these 20 points which Trump has made public are not ours. These are not the same as ours. I say that some changes have been made in it, in the draft we had,” he said.

On Monday, Trump published the plan to end Israel’s nearly two-year war on Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians. It calls for a ceasefire, an exchange of hostages and prisoners, a staged Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s reconstruction with international support.

“I welcome President Trump’s 20-point plan to ensure an end to the war in Gaza. I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region,” Pakistan PM Sharif said in an X post on Sept. 29.

“It is also my firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding to become a reality.”

Dar this week said the Pakistani leadership would decide whether to contribute troops to a special peacekeeping force in Gaza proposed under Trump’s peace plan.

“Gaza peace plan envisaged deploying a peace force in Palestine,” Dar said during a media briefing on Tuesday.

“Pakistani leadership will decide on sending troops for the special peacekeeping force in Gaza, as Indonesia has announced the deployment of 20,000 troops for the purpose.”

However, his latest comments about the peace plan not being in line with the draft presented by the eight Muslim states has raised questions about Islamabad’s position on the roadmap.

In his Sept. 29 post on X, Sharif had also lauded Trump’s leadership and the “vital role” played by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in trying to bring an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.

“I also strongly believe that the implementation of the two-state proposal is essential to ensure lasting peace in the region,” he had said.