Religious parties to hold nationwide protests today against US Jerusalem move

LAHORE/KARACHI: Religious political parties and student organizations are going to hold countrywide protests on Friday against US President Donald Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.   

The roads leading to American Consulate in Lahore have been completely sealed with containers.

Meanwhile, a large number of security personnel have been deployed around the US Consulate building in Karachi to prevent any untoward incident.

The protest call was given by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq. “Trump’s Jerusalem move is like adding fuel to the fire,” the JI chief said while talking to journalists.

He said the US president has risked the global peace with this decision.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on early Thursday morning while calling upon Muslim nations around the world to get united against the US move.

Trump’s decision to recognise the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital came late on Wednesday night, upending decades of careful US policy and ignoring dire warnings of a historic misstep that could trigger a surge of violence in the Middle East.

“I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said from the White House. “It’s right thing to do,” he asserted.

The US move received global condemnation. The leaders of many Islamic countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, besides France, Germany and the European Union warned Trump against the move.

Pakistan to raise US Jerusalem declaration at all forums

President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday said that Pakistan would take up at all available fora the decision of the US President to recognize occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.    

He was addressing a ceremony held in Islamabad on Thursday to mark the National Voters’ Day.

The President expressed the confidence that the OIC meeting to be convened to review the situation would adopt a tough position.