Massive Youm-e-Quds rally draws thousands to MA Jinnah Road as speakers urge Pakistan to take clear stance
Pakistani girls hold toy guns during a demonstration to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, a commemoration held annually on the last Friday of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Karachi on March 13, 2026. PHOTO: AFP
In a sea of flags, fiery speeches and resounding slogans, thousands of people took to the streets of Karachi on Friday to mark Youm-e-Quds on the eve of Jumatul Wida, turning the city’s main artery into a powerful show of solidarity with the Palestinians and a platform for harsh criticism of Israel and its allies.
Echoing chants and waving Palestinian flags, thousands of protesters marched as the city joined in nationwide 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 began at Numaish Chowrangi and moved along MA Jinnah Road to the Tibet Centre, where a final grand meeting was held.
Pakistanis hold portraits of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, a commemoration celebrated annually on the last Friday of Ramadan, in Karachi on March 13, 2026. — AFP
People from all walks of life, including religious scholars of different sects, political leaders, lawyers, doctors and members of civil society, participated in the march along with thousands of women, men and children.
Addressing the participants, the clerics said Youm-e-Quds was not only a day to raise the voice of Palestinians but also of oppressed peoples around the world. They said freedom-loving people around the world had responded to the call of the late Iranian leader Imam Khomeini by highlighting the plight of the Palestinian people.
Read more: Karachi traffic police announce road closures, diversions for Youm-e-Quds rally
Speakers said the Muslim world faces difficult challenges, but argued that the presence of “conscious youth linked to the axis of resistance” would prevent what they described as expansionist plans such as “Greater Israel.”
When the demonstration reached the Tibet Center, a large final 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 asked the Pakistani government to clarify its stance on international developments.
Women drag coffins draped with the national flags of the United States and Israel, during a demonstration to mark Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, a commemoration celebrated annually on the last Friday of Ramadan, 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 position. They also emphasized continued support for the Palestinian cause and reiterated calls for the liberation of Palestine.
Participants carried Palestinian flags, banners and portraits of Iranian leaders while chanting slogans against the United States, Israel and India. Effigies and flags representing those countries were also burned during the demonstration.
At the site, young students paid tribute to the children murdered in the Iranian city of Minab, while dozens of school backpacks and flowers were placed in their memory.
Among those who addressed the meeting 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.
