Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman: Al-Aqsa Liberation Should Be Top Defence Pact Priority

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque should be the top priority of the defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, urging Islamabad to adopt a clear and practical policy on Palestine.

Addressing a Gaza solidarity march in Islamabad on Wednesday, marking the third anniversary of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, he called for a conference of Muslim leaders to send Israel a clear message to end its brutality against Palestinians.

He also warned the government that the JI would intensify its campaign against the petroleum levy if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif failed to provide relief to the people.

Rehman said the prime minister had conveyed that a schedule would be prepared for a meeting with the JI leadership. “We will meet him, but he must honour his commitment and provide relief to the people by abolishing the petroleum levy,” he said.

“If the levy is not abolished, we will start our march on Islamabad from Multan. Caravans from across the country will reach the federal capital and stage a sit-in. People of Islamabad should prepare to host them,” he warned.

He said the JI would hold a public gathering in Charsadda on Friday as part of its ongoing campaign for public rights.

The JI emir also criticised the government over the political and security situation, saying Pakistan was being run under a hybrid system and that people’s democratic rights should not be curtailed.

He said instability persisted in Azad Kashmir while terrorism continued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The rulers, he added, should abandon their lavish lifestyles instead of imposing further burdens on the people.

Turning to Palestine, Rehman said Pakistan’s rulers were failing to fulfil their responsibility towards the Palestinian people and should move beyond verbal statements to practical measures. He called on Islamabad to support a “one-state solution” to the Palestine issue.

He said Muslim rulers should have united after October 7, 2023, to stop Israeli aggression against Palestinians, but their silence allowed Israel to retaliate against unarmed civilians.

He said thousands of Palestinians, including women and children, had been killed, while many bodies remained buried under the rubble. He further said that 1,400 Palestinians had been killed and 5,000 injured even after the ceasefire.

The JI leader said the Israeli assault on Gaza had exposed the real face of Western democracy and made the role of the United States clearer to the world.

He said thousands of people across the world had protested against Israel’s actions, but governments were creating obstacles for pro-Palestinian movements.

The JI leader also said that around 9,000 Palestinians remained imprisoned in Israeli jails and were subjected to severe torture.

Referring to October 7, he said the events had changed the global political landscape and challenged the perception that Israel and the United States could not be defeated.

He praised the people of Gaza and Hamas for exposing Western propaganda and said Palestinians had awakened the conscience of the international community.

“Palestinians in Gaza are standing firm in the field, demonstrating courage, knowledge and moral strength,” he said, describing Hamas as an example of an Islamic movement rooted in the people.

The Islamabad march was organised by the JI on Hafiz Naeem’s appeal. Thousands of people participated in rallies and demonstrations across Pakistan, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting slogans in support of Gaza.

JI Vice Emir Mian Muhammad Aslam, Islamabad JI Emir Nasrullah Randhawa, Islamabad Secretary General Zubair Safdar, Friends of Palestine leader Dr Bilal and Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba provincial nazim Ahmad Abdullah also addressed the Islamabad march.