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KARACHI: Thousands marched through Karachi on Friday afternoon in a major Al-Quds Day rally, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and registering fierce protest against the US-Israel war on Iran, as the megacity observed a provincial public holiday and came to a near-complete standstill under airtight security arrangements. Markets, schools and government offices remained closed through the day as the bustling metropolis fell quiet, while participants — charged with zeal and anger over the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the US-Israel military campaign against Iran — poured onto the streets in large numbers. The main procession set off from Numaish Chowrangi after Friday prayers in the early afternoon, marching through the heart of the city before culminating on M A Jinnah Road near Aman Tower after Maghrib prayers. The Sindh government had declared a public holiday for the occasion, with Provincial Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah confirming that all government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous institutions, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the provincial government — except essential services — would remain closed. Over 1,340 police officers and personnel were deployed across the city to ensure the peaceful observance of the event. Police top officials said the security plan was modelled closely on arrangements put in place for last Wednesday’s Youm-i-Ali. The mood of the rally reflected deepening public anger over two fronts: the continued Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which participants described as genocide of the Palestinian people, and the US-Israel war against Iran, which many speakers warned posed a direct threat to the broader Muslim world, including Pakistan. Separately, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Chief Monem Zafar, who addressed a public Iftar gathering in Ikhwan area, New Karachi Sector 11-F earlier in the day, said that Palestine is the land of the prophets and that Al-Quds, the First Qibla, is deeply connected to the faith and beliefs of the entire Muslim Ummah. He said the people of Gaza are fighting the battle of the entire Muslim world. He said that despite its full military power and advanced technology, Israel has failed to defeat the faith and resolve of the people of Gaza, with Hamas fighters standing firm with patience and determination. Al-Quds Day is observed annually on the last Friday of Ramazan in Pakistan and across the world in protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
