Pakistan Boosts Security as Jamaat-e-Islami Plans US Embassy March
[Islamabad] Pakistani authorities on Sunday sealed off access to Islamabad’s Red Zone as they prepared for a major protest organized by the religious-political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). The group announced plans to march toward the US Embassy on April 20 to protest American backing of Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza.
Security forces blocked key roads leading to the high-security district—home to government buildings, foreign embassies, and top institutions—using shipping containers, concrete barriers, and barbed wire. Paramilitary forces were also deployed in anticipation of potential unrest.
Officials said the measures were taken to ensure public safety and protect diplomatic missions in the event of clashes or large gatherings. The planned Gaza Solidarity March is expected to draw large crowds, as JI has already organized major demonstrations in cities such as Karachi and Lahore this month.
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“We cannot remain silent while our Palestinian brothers and sisters are being slaughtered with American weapons,” JI leader Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman said in a statement on Saturday. “The United States is complicit in these atrocities, and we will continue to raise our voices until justice is done.”
The party is also calling for a nationwide strike on April 22, urging Pakistanis across the country to show their support for Gaza by refraining from work and closing businesses.
Amir Ul Azeem, JI’s general secretary, accused the Pakistani government of trying to suppress the protest. “The government of Pakistan has decided to block this march. I urge the people of Pakistan to come out in full force and participate,” he said.
Azeem emphasized that the march in Islamabad would be peaceful and inclusive. “Our previous rallies have been calm and orderly,” he added, calling on people of all ages to join in a unified show of support for Palestinians.
The protest comes as anger over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to mount across Pakistan, where pro-Palestinian sentiment runs deep. The US has remained a key ally of Israel throughout the war, drawing criticism from various groups across the Muslim world.
