Thousands of Pakistanis stage rallies against Trump’s al-Quds decision

Rasa - Thousands of demonstrators have rallied in two major cities across Pakistan, denouncing US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital.”

News ID: 435401

Date: 17 December 2017 - 22:27

RNA - The massive rallies were organized by supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party in the southern port city of Karachi and advocates of Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and leaders of Difa-e-Pakistan Council in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday.

The angry protesters who carried Palestinian flags and chanted anti-US slogans called on Washington to retract the controversial decision.

Sirajul Haq, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) called on all Muslim nations to suspend diplomatic ties with the US until it reconsiders its Jerusalem decision.

Addressing the rally in Lahore, Saeed said that the world Muslims should put aside any differences and unite around the cause of "liberating" Jerusalem al-Quds.

Protests have continued in Pakistan since Trump's controversial announcement angered Muslims across the world.

In recent days, various religious and political groups held anti-Trump protests across Pakistan . The main protest was held last Sunday near the US Consulate in Karachi where the religious activists burnt the US and Israeli flags and chanted slogans.

Trump announced that his administration would recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s “capital” and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds on December 6. That announcement was only welcomed by Israel. Saudi Arabia’s response was also conspicuously muted.

Demonstrations were held in protest in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, and other Muslim countries.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened an emergency meeting to call on all Muslim nations to respond by pressing the world for the recognition of East Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of a Palestinian state.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem al-Quds after it occupied the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Syrian Golan Heights during the Six-Day War of 1967. That annexation has never been recognized by the international community.

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