Thousands of people across Pakistan participated in rallies and demonstrations on Friday to mark Youm-ul-Quds, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemning Israeli actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Major rallies were held in cities including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, and Faisalabad, where participants carried Palestinian flags and placards while chanting slogans in support of Palestine.
Religious and political parties, civil society groups, and students joined the demonstrations, calling for an end to Israeli occupation and urging the international community to protect Palestinian rights.
In Lahore, a rally was organized after Friday prayers under the banner of Shia Ulema Council, which marched from Nasir Bagh to Charing Cross. The rally was also attended by members of Tehreek Bedari Ummat-e-Mustafa, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, and the Imamia Students Organization. Participants raised slogans in support of Palestine and condemned Israeli aggression.
Shia Ulema Council Punjab’s focal person Qasim Ali Qasmi said the council traditionally held its rally from the US Consulate General near Shimla Pahari, but the route was changed this year in view of the prevailing law and order situation in the country.
Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman offered special prayers for the people of Gaza and Iran while addressing a gathering at the party’s headquarters in Mansoora, Lahore. He paid tribute to the leadership and people of Palestine and Iran for what he termed their steadfast resistance against US and Israeli aggression and urged the Muslim world to support oppressed nations.
Meanwhile, authorities in Punjab made extensive security arrangements to ensure peaceful observance of the day. According to a handout issued by the Punjab Home Department, monitoring of Youm-ul-Quds processions was carried out under the directives of the Chief Minister of Punjab.
Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique and Punjab Home Secretary Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi remained present at the central control room of the Home Department in Lahore to oversee security arrangements. The situation across the province was reviewed through live monitoring.
Officials said that all 128 Youm-ul-Quds processions across Punjab were monitored from the central control room, which is linked with district-level control rooms throughout the province. The committee chairman also contacted control rooms in various districts individually to review the security situation.
According to the Home Department, thousands of Punjab Police personnel were deployed to perform security duties during the rallies and processions. Special security arrangements were made along the routes of the processions to ensure the events concluded peacefully and on time.
Authorities also provided foolproof security for Friday prayers at 37,231 mosques across Punjab, the statement said.
Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the provincial government was continuously reviewing the law and order situation on the instructions of the Chief Minister. He added that authorities were following a zero-tolerance policy against individuals spreading sectarian hatred on social media.
Punjab Home Secretary Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi said that all relevant departments—including Punjab Police, Rescue 1122, and the Health Department—remained in close coordination to maintain security during the observance of Youm-ul-Quds.
He further stated that strict restrictions were imposed on provocative speeches and the display of weapons during the rallies. Key processions were monitored not only through CCTV cameras but also through aerial surveillance using quadcopters, he added.
The Home Department’s cyber patrolling cell also remained active to take action against individuals involved in spreading sectarian content online.
Youm-ul-Quds, observed on the last Friday of Ramadan, was first proposed in 1979 as a day to express global support for the Palestinian people and their struggle for liberation.
