KARACHI: A prominent Pakistani religio-political party on Sunday announced a nationwide strike for April 22 in solidarity with Palestinians, warning that history would not forgive the Muslim world’s leaders if they allowed Israel to continue its deadly campaign in Gaza.
Thousands of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) participated in the “Gaza Solidarity March” in Karachi, days after similar demonstrations were held in Lahore and other major Pakistani cities.
Women, children, senior citizens and representatives of various professions joined the rally, which also featured harsh criticism of the United States for its support of Israel.
Addressing the gathering, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman delivered a strongly worded speech urging the Pakistani government and other Muslim-majority countries to take concrete steps to stop the “genocide” in Gaza.
“History won’t forgive you otherwise,” he said, warning Muslim leaders that Israel would also turn its weapons toward them.
Rehman accused the United Nations of irrelevance and described it as a body that “passes useless resolutions and statements.”
He announced the April 22 protest, calling on Pakistanis to observe “a countrywide shutdown” to express solidarity with Gaza.
Participants at the rally carried placards, chanted slogans against Israeli military operations and criticized Western governments and corporations. They also encouraged an economic boycott of Western products during the protest.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has frequently criticized the Jewish state for its military operations in Gaza. Islamabad has also called for the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory and the need for a revival of negotiations leading to a two-state solution.
Islamabad consistently calls for an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military offensives in Gaza have killed over 50,000 people and wounded over 116,000, as per the Gaza Health Ministry.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday welcomed recent talks between Iran and the United States in Muscat, the capital of Oman, urging both sides to resolve longstanding differences through dialogue and diplomacy.
The indirect discussions, held on April 12 under Omani mediation, marked the first engagement between the two countries since 2017 and focused on reducing tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, among other issues.
Both sides described the talks as constructive and agreed to continue the dialogue.
“Pakistan welcomes the talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America that were held on 12 April 2025 in Muscat under the good offices of Oman,” the foreign office said in a statement.
“Pakistan considers that dialogue and diplomacy will promote peace and stability in the region and advance the objective of resolution of differences and disputes on the basis of negotiations and mutual respect,” it added. “We encourage the parties to continue to follow this path.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff led their respective delegations. While the talks were primarily indirect, reports indicated that the two officials briefly spoke face-to-face, signaling a possible thaw in relations.
Iran has insisted its missile defense program remains non-negotiable, while the US has maintained its “maximum pressure” campaign, demanding that Iran not weaponize its nuclear capability.
Relations between the US and Iran have been fraught since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the two nations have had no formal diplomatic ties since 1980.
Tensions escalated after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. The recent talks in Muscat have come against the backdrop of Israel’s military engagements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as Syria and Lebanon.
Last year, Iran and Israel also launched missile and drone strikes, marking their first direct military confrontation.