Demonstrators call for release of detained nationals, including former senator Mushtaq Ahmed.
On Friday, thousands of people demonstrated in several Pakistani cities to protest the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was sailing toward Gaza with humanitarian aid, and the detention of its crew, including at least seven Pakistanis.
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The rallies, organized by the politico-religious party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), took place in cities such as Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. Protesters marched with Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Israel.
“From mosques to markets, from universities to the streets, the nation rejects Israel’s illegal piracy against the Global Sumud Flotilla and demands freedom for Gaza. Israel detains peace activists and starves people,” JI wrote on the social media platform X.
Demonstrators called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to step up diplomatic efforts to secure the release of former senator Mushtaq Ahmed and the other Pakistani citizens detained by Israeli occupation forces.
Protesters also criticized Western governments for remaining silent about crimes against humanity that Israel continues to commit in Gaza with impunity.
Pakistan does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. This South Asian nation of 240 million, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, also possesses nuclear weapons.
“Since Pakistan does not recognize Israel, we are working closely with our international partners to achieve the immediate release of our citizens and ensure their safety,” Pakistani authorities said Thursday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of about 40 boats carrying food and medicine, set sail in late August with nearly 500 activists on board, including lawmakers, journalists and lawyers.
In the early hours of Wednesday, Israeli forces intercepted the vessels, including one carrying Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, the most widely known of the passengers.
Live footage from the ships showed Zionist soldiers boarding the boats as passengers, wearing life jackets, raised their hands. The detained passengers have been transferred by Israeli authorities to Saharonim Prison in the southern Negev Desert.
