Shutter-Down protest across Pakistan for Palestine

A nationwide shutter-down strike is being observed across Pakistan on Saturday, following a call by Jamaat-e-Islami and various traders’ associations to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and protest against Israeli atrocities in Gaza.

Shops and major markets remain closed, and business activities have been suspended in several cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Charsadda. Traffic on the roads is lighter than usual, and lawyers have joined the strike by boycotting court proceedings.

Protest rallies are taking place in different regions as people show their support for the Palestinian cause. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza, calling it genocide and emphasizing that the people of Pakistan cannot stand by while Palestinians suffer.

In response to the Gaza crisis, the All Pakistan Traders Association President Ajmal Baloch announced that traders would hold a protest at Aabpara Chowk in Islamabad at 5 PM today. Baloch also demanded the resignation of the UN Secretary-General over the lack of action on the issue.

The violence in Gaza has reached alarming levels. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, nearly 2000 people have been killed and more than 5,200 injured since Israel resumed attacks after breaking a ceasefire in March. Since the conflict began 18 months ago, over 51000 Palestinians have died, and more than 117,000 have been injured.

The situation has worsened with thousands still missing under rubble.Hospitals and health services in Gaza have been devastated, and efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. to mediate peace have so far failed to resolve the conflict. Both sides remain in a deadly standoff, and international calls for peace continue to grow louder.