Page 10 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2023
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P10 - PAKISTAN  LINK - OCTOBER 20, 2023                                                                                                     PAKISTAN

       KARACHI: Thousands of men, women and chil-  Protests Held across Pakistan                                       been  stopped”  she  said.  "So,  if  Muslims  do  not
       dren marched on Sunday in Pakistan's commer-                                                                    stand up against that and against the martyrdoms
       cial hub of Karachi to express solidarity with the                                                              that happened, who will stand up?"
       Palestinian  people  amid  relentless  Israeli  bom-  in Solidarity with Gaza                                     Quratul Ain, 17, said she attended the march
       bardment on Gaza, which has forced nearly 1 mil-                                                                in solidarity with Palestinians, who were facing
       lion people to flee their homes.                                                                                an "imminent genocide."
         Israel  has  intensified  its  bombardment  of                                                                  “The world needs to stand up and take a stand
       Gaza since Palestinian group, Hamas, launched                                                                   against what is happening. It is a genocide,” the
       a multi-pronged attack on the Jewish nation last                                                                17-year-old said.
       week. The attack claimed at least 1,300 lives, while                                                              “It feels like an absolute luxury to us to have
       Israel’s bombing of Gaza has resulted in the kill-                                                              a clean glass of water today, to be able to sleep
       ing of at least 2,450 Palestinians.                                                                             in a clean bed, and to have a peaceful life,” she
         Israel has also blockaded Gaza, effectively pre-                                                              said, noting the people of Gaza were sleeping un-
       venting food, fuel and water from reaching the                                                                  der open skies without access to basic necessities.
       densely populated territory of over two million                                                                 Separately, members of the civil society gathered
       people. The actions have drawn widespread anger                                                                 outside the Karachi Press Club to express solidar-
       and sparked protests in Pakistan.                                                                               ity with Palestinians.
         On Sunday, Jamaat-e-Islami, a Pakistani reli-                                                                   “We stand against all violations of the inter-
       gious party, organized a massive rally in Karachi,                                                              national humanitarian law,” said Shehzad Ghias
       where the speakers warned of far-reaching con-                                                                  Shaikh, a v-logger and influencer. "What's hap-
       sequences  of  the  Israeli  aggression  against  the                                                           pening  in  Palestine  is  apartheid,  it's  genocide
       Palestinians.                                                                                                   and occupation, and we stand against all of those
         “We want to emphasize that if Israel was not                                                                  things."
       stopped, it may lead to a third world war,” JI chief                                                              Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan, a transgender rights
       Sirajul Haque warned, while addressing partici-                                                                 activist, said the message of their march was to
       pants of the rally on the city's main thoroughfare,                                                             ask the government to stand with the people of
       Shahrah-e-Faisal…                                                                                               Palestine.
         The rally drew large crowds of Pakistani peo- On Sunday, Jamaat-e-Islami organized a massive rally in Karachi, where the speakers warned of far-  “We are standing against the colonization of
       ple from different walks of life, who carried plac- reaching consequences of aggression against the Palestinians  the land of Palestine and we are all for an end
       ards in support of the people of Gaza.                                                                          to the senseless, brutal occupation the people of
         Zobia Ahmed, who attended the march along  said the situation demanded of everyone to pro-  “There are small kids, people who have been  Gaza and Palestine have been facing for the past
       with her husband, three daughters and parents,  test Israeli actions.      oppressed, the supply of food, and everything has  many years,” Awan said… - Arab News



       KARACHI: In a show of solidarity   President Alvi Visits Palestinian Embassy                                           of essential medical supplies, tents, and
       with  the  Palestinian  people,  Paki-                                                                                 blankets departed Islamabad for Egypt.
       stani President Arif Alvi on Thurs-                                                                                    These items will be transferred to Gaza
       day visited the Palestine Embassy in      as Pakistan Sends Aid to Gaza                                                from Egypt, Foreign Ministry spokes-
       Islamabad,  as  the  South  Asian  na-                                                                                 woman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at a
       tion  flew  tons  of  humanitarian  aid                                                                                weekly news briefing in Islamabad.
       for the people of Gaza.                                                                                                   "Pakistan remains concerned about
         According to a statement issued by                                                                                   the situation of our Palestinian brothers
       the Presidency, Alvi met with Palestin-                                                                                and sisters in Gaza. We strongly con-
       ian  Ambassador  Ahmed  Jawad  Rabei                                                                                   demn the Israeli aggression and block-
       and expressed solidarity with the Pal-                                                                                 ade, particularly the recent attack on a
       estinian  people  on  behalf  of  the  gov-                                                                            Gaza hospital,” she said, adding that Tel
       ernment and people of Pakistan.                                                                                        Aviv's actions "violate international hu-
         "The  United  Nations  should  de-                                                                                   manitarian and human rights law."
       bate  the  atrocities  that  happened  in                                                                                 Gaza is experiencing a dire humani-
       Palestine, and the UNSC should pass                                                                                    tarian crisis, with no electricity, while
       a resolution to stop Israeli atrocities,"                                                                              water, food, fuel, and medical supplies
       Alvi said.                                                                                                             are running out.
         Pakistan and Israel do not have dip-                                                                                    UN  Secretary-General  Antonio
       lomatic relations.                                                                                                     Guterres  has  called  for  an  “immedi-
         “On behalf of the Pakistani peo-                                                                                     ate humanitarian ceasefire” to ease the
       ple, we condemn the brutalities hap-                                                                                   “epic human suffering.”
       pening in Gaza, the disproportionate                                                                                      At  least  3,785  Palestinians  have
       reaction of Israel, and the apartheid  killed.  In  fact,  the  hospital  in  Gaza  ness,” the president said.  manitarian assistance to the besieged  been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza,
       for the last 30-40 years. We condemn  was bombed and more than 500 peo-  Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan said  Gaza Strip via Egypt.  while  the  figure  stands  at  more  than
       that people are being brutalized and  ple died. All this creates more bitter- it was sending the first batch of hu-  A chartered plane carrying 100 tons  1,400 people in Israel. - AA


       KARACHI: As the humanitarian situ-  Pakistani NGOs Beset by ‘Visa Denials’                                                Mr  Baig  also  appealed  to  people
       ation in Gaza becomes desperate after                                                                                  to support their relief efforts and help
       days  of  relentless  bombing  by  Israeli                                                                             those stuck in Gaza.
       forces,  global  aid  organizations  have        in Quest to Help Gazans                                                  “A  total  blockade  of  food,  water,
       said the time was “running out to save                                                                                 fuel and electricity has been imposed
       millions of people” in the Gaza Strip.                                                                                 on Gaza, creating a humanitarian cri-
       Yet, no aid is being allowed inside the  Egyptian side, but the North African  Alternative ways to help  ing food and medical aid for the Pales- sis on a massive scale. Palestinians are
       besieged enclave.             country  was  “refusing  visas  to  Paki-  As it was impossible to send relief  tinians who have escaped from Gaza.  looking towards their fellow Pakistani
         Like global aid agencies, non-gov- stanis.                goods to Gaza, some NGOs in Paki-  “They are homeless. Besides, win- Muslims to come to their aid at this
       ernmental  organizations  in  Pakistan   He  recalled  that  three  years  stan  have  joined  hands  with  global  ter is also approaching. The money we  crucial moment. I appeal to the public
       are also ready to provide humanitar- ago,  when  Israel  was  bombing  organizations  to  send  money  to  the  collect will help buy food and aid for  to step forward and donate generously
       ian assistance to Palestinians, but they  Gaza,  his  organizations  tried  to  besieged region.  them.”               for this cause,” he said.
       cite  blockade  and  logistical  issues  as  reach  Gaza  via  Rafah,  “but  then   Mr  Chamdia  said  his  organiza-  Alkhidmat  Foundation,  the  relief
       key challenges.               Egypt  turned  down  our  visa  ap- tion has found a way to send money  wing of Jamaat-i-Islami, has also part- No political motives
         “All routes to Gaza are closed. It’s  plications”.        to Gaza.                     nered with international aid organiza-  Mr  Edhi  said  aid  organizations
       all  sealed,”  Faisal  Edhi  of  the  Edhi   Amjad Chamdia of Saylani Welfare   “We are joining hands with NGOs  tions  and  NGOs  that  have  access  to  only  want  to  help  people  and  don’t
       Foundation  told  Dawn,  adding  his  Trust also said going to Gaza through  from  Turkiye  to  help  them,”  he  ex- the area to send relief goods.  have any political motives.
       heart bleeds for the Palestinians.  any country was not possible.  plained.                 The  foundation’s  Karachi  CEO,   “But  we  are  being  stopped  from
         While all crossings into Gaza from   “Even  people  from  neighboring   He  added  that  in  a  day,  Saylani  Naveed  Ali  Baig,  said  his  organiza- even  doing  that,”  said  a  dejected  Mr
       Israel are closed, the only entry point  countries  cannot  reach  there  as  bor- Welfare  Trust  will  start  a  donation  tion  “has  stepped  up  relief  activities  Edhi.
       is  the  Rafah  crossing  between  Gaza  ders are sealed,” he said.  drive  for  the  people  of  Gaza.  “The  for people in Gaza in the wake of the   According  to  Alkhidmat  Founda-
       and Egypt.                      According  to  Mr  Chamdia,  the  money  will  be  used  in  feeding  the  increased aggression by Israel”.  tion’s  Mr  Baig,  thousands  of  men,
         However, that, too, has been left in- people  of  Gaza  have  no  food,  water,  people of Gaza who have succeeded in   He disclosed that Alkhidmat’s vol- women  and  children  are  severely
       operable due to Israeli air strikes.  electricity or cooking gas.   exiting the besieged enclave.”  unteers  were  providing  food,  water,  wounded due to “the incessant and in-
         According  to  Mr  Edhi,  aid  agen-  “Everything has been cut off, and   The  organization  will  also  work  medical supplies and other necessary  discriminate carpet bombing by Israe-
       cies in Pakistan could enter from the  they are being tortured and killed.”  with Turkish NGOs who are provid- items to the Palestinian civilians.  li forces and in need of help”. - Dawn
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