[Islamabad] — Pakistan’s largest religious-political party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), demanded the opening of a Hamas office in the country and announced a full-scale nationwide strike on April 26 to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Addressing participants at the “Gaza Million Solidarity March” held in Islamabad on Sunday, JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman urged the Pakistani government to recognize Hamas and permit it to establish an office formally.
Thousands of supporters, including women and children, took part in the protest organized by JI, voicing strong opposition to Israeli military actions in Gaza.
During his speech, Rehman accused Pakistan’s leadership of succumbing to pressure from the United States and Israel, claiming the government had blocked the party’s attempt to march toward the US Embassy.
We want to send a message of solidarity to the world—we don’t want conflict, but these containers cannot stop us.
“We want to send a message of solidarity to the world—we don’t want conflict, but these containers cannot stop us,” he said, referencing the security barriers placed by authorities.
He further criticized the Pakistani government for what he called its inaction on both Palestine and Kashmir. He warned that any political force in the country that sought ties with Israel would face public backlash.
Calling the war in Gaza a “genocide at the behest of America,” Rehman urged all political parties in Pakistan to unite in support of Palestinians and Kashmiris. He added that if the government fails to take a meaningful stand, JI will mobilize again, with “stronger force.”
The party had announced a march toward the US Embassy to protest Washington’s support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Key roads were blocked with containers, barbed wire, and concrete barriers, while additional paramilitary forces were deployed to secure the high-security area, which houses government offices and diplomatic missions.
After negotiations with the federal administration, the JI leadership withdrew their decision to enter the Red Zone and marched on the Islamabad Expressway.
Meanwhile, the Federal authorities heightened security in Islamabad, sealing all routes to the Red Zone ahead of Jamaat-e-Islami’s planned Gaza Solidarity March.
Pakistan’s another religious-political party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), has also joined hands with Jamaat-e-Islami, announcing its full support for the Palestinian cause.
On Monday, firebrand cleric and the chief of JUI-F, Fazal Ur Rehman, met with Jamaat-e-Islami officials at the party’s headquarters in Mansoura, Lahore. During the meeting, both sides agreed to hold large-scale protests starting April 27, aiming to unite religious parties from across the country in solidarity with Palestine.
Shakeel Turabi, Jamaat-e-Islami’s central spokesperson, told The Media Line that “the UN Charter allows the people of the occupied territory to wage armed struggle, and the Jamaat-e-Islami chief has called for the opening of a Hamas office in the country in the context of this charter.”
He urged that “other Islamic countries should also think about it.”
Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan’s largest religious and political party, was founded in 1941 by the legendary Islamic scholar Abul Ala Maududi during the British colonial era. JI is often seen as a more politically mainstream and disciplined party compared to other hardline or sectarian groups.
Rooted in Islamic principles, it advocates for a system of governance based on its interpretation of Islamic values.
With a well-organized grassroots network, JI operates through democratic channels, drawing significant support from various segments of society who seek a greater influence of religious values in public life.
The party also wields considerable street power, capable of organizing large-scale protests across the country.
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It is noteworthy that Pakistan’s top charity, Alkhidmat Foundation, which operates as a subsidiary of Jamaat-e-Islami, has distributed approximately $543 million in aid to Palestinian civilians affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict, with additional efforts ongoing.
The foundation has gained a reputation as Pakistan’s largest charitable organization, particularly for its humanitarian efforts during the 2022 flood relief.
Alkhidmat, with its extensive national presence, has consistently shown its commitment to aiding communities, irrespective of race, religion, or ethnic background.
However, the global experts warn of the broader implications if Pakistan were to bow to public pressure and consider opening a Hamas office.
Such a move could create serious problems. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed terrorist group, is already active in the country. Supporting another armed group like Hamas, labelled a terrorist organization by the US and EU, could have significant domestic and international repercussions.
With the hard-core Taliban in power next door in Afghanistan, and Iran’s growing influence among Pakistan’s Shia community, concerns about regional stability are increasing. To explore how these overlapping dynamics could impact Pakistan’s internal security and regional stability, The Media Line spoke with experts from around the world.
Professor Adrian Calamel, a South Asian security expert and senior fellow at the Washington-based Arabian Peninsula Institute, told The Media Line, “In the past, Pakistan has at times engaged certain militant groups for strategic purposes—a policy that has led to complex and often serious security consequences.”
Groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, accountable for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, have been viewed as tools of regional influence, posing no direct threat to the state. In contrast, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is waging an active insurgency, carrying out some of the deadliest terrorist attacks within Pakistan in a bid to overthrow the government.
He further underlined, “Groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, accountable for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, have been viewed as tools of regional influence, posing no direct threat to the state. In contrast, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is waging an active insurgency, carrying out some of the deadliest terrorist attacks within Pakistan in a bid to overthrow the government.”
Calamel noted that the “emergence of Hamas introduces a new and dangerous complexity to the situation. While Hamas is ideologically rooted in the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, its political and financial backing largely comes from the Shia-led Islamic Republic of Iran. This alignment, he emphasized, could present multiple layers of risk for Pakistan.”
He raised the critical question: if Tehran sought leverage or destabilization in the region, what would prevent Hamas from aligning operationally—or even tactically—with the TTP or similar groups under a so-called global jihadi agenda?
The situation, Calamel pointed out, raises key questions: Will Hamas officials travel to or settle in Pakistan? If so, will they become targets of hostile intelligence agencies, potentially bringing the Israel-Gaza conflict to Islamabad’s streets? How would this affect Pakistan’s internal security?
Moreover, Calamel cautioned that “this could further strain Pakistan’s fragile ties with the United States. Hosting groups deemed terrorist by Washington could harm military and economic cooperation, complicating Pakistan’s delicate balancing act between China, the Gulf States, and the West.”
Amer Al Sabaileh, a Jordanian strategic analyst and a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, warned of the serious challenges that come with hosting a military organization like Hamas.
He noted that such a presence could not only trigger US sanctions and Israeli reprisals but also destabilize the host country due to Hamas’s involvement in arms trading and covert operations.
Following the recent conflict, Hamas’s military capabilities, operational methods, and objectives have significantly evolved, making it unlikely to function as it once did.
“Following the recent conflict, Hamas’s military capabilities, operational methods, and objectives have significantly evolved, making it unlikely to function as it once did,” Al Sabaileh told The Media Line.
For a country like Pakistan, Al Sabaileh pointed out, hosting Hamas would place it at the center of a complex conflict, both militarily and in terms of intelligence operations.
Given Pakistan’s already fragile security environment and delicate political relations with the US, the presence of Hamas would introduce new and significant complications, as noted by Al Sabaileh.
Moreover, it could embolden domestic Islamist groups, further straining Pakistan’s internal security and making future management of the situation far more difficult, Al Sabaileh emphasized.
Aimen Jamil, a strategic affairs analyst based in Islamabad, offers a keen insight into the complexities of geopolitical shifts.
She told The Media Line, “Jamaat-e-Islami’s recent call for establishing a Hamas office in Pakistan seems symbolic and unnecessary, considering the long-standing presence of the Palestinian Embassy, which already represents the State of Palestine.
“Such a move risks destabilizing Pakistan’s internal security and complicating its foreign policy at a time of economic and political fragility”, she added.
Jamil emphasized that “endorsing an entity like Hamas could embolden domestic extremist groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, deepen ideological divides, and invite international backlash.”
She also warned that “it could raise concerns among Gulf allies, who are already wary of Iran’s expanding influence over Pakistan’s Shia population, particularly in the context of escalating Iran-Israel tensions.”
The government, Jamil noted, has so far taken a pragmatic approach by supporting the Palestinian Embassy’s role in coordinating aid for Gaza, while resisting pressure from JI’s protests.”
However, she underlined “with growing public outrage over the Gaza crisis, authorities may face increasing pressure to make symbolic concessions.”
The Media Line also spoke with Dr. Dost Mohammad Barech, a former research associate at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and a lecturer at the University of Balochistan.
In contrast with other experts, he approached the issue from a distinctive perspective.
Barech told The Media Line that “the current timing of Jamaat-e-Islami’s protests may not be appropriate, given the pressing national matters under discussion.”
He pointed out that “some important developments are currently underway, including legislation concerning significant foreign investment in Pakistan’s mining sector and the construction of six controversial canals on the Indus River—projects that have already triggered widespread concern and protests across Sindh, particularly from the Pakistan People’s Party.”
Despite the persistent anti-American rhetoric in some quarters, Barech emphasized that the United States remains Pakistan’s largest partner in both investment and counter-terrorism cooperation.
The relationship may be transactional but it is also indispensable.
“The relationship may be transactional,” he added, “but it is also indispensable.”
He noted that the “recent Pakistan Minerals Summit reflected strong interest from American investors, signaling the strategic relevance of this partnership at a time when foreign investment is vital for Pakistan’s economic recovery.”
Barech concluded by stressing that Pakistan must adopt a ‘Realpolitik’ approach in its foreign policy, prioritizing national interests and strategic pragmatism over ideological posturing.