JI protests US recognition of Al-Quds as Israel capital

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Friday staged a rally to protest the recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel by the United States.

The rally, which was earlier scheduled to be staged outside the United States’ Consulate General in the red zone, was diverted towards the Peshawar Press Club after it started from the Jinnah Park.

Heavy contingents of police were deployed for the event to avoid any untoward incident outside the US diplomatic mission, the roads to which have been blocked from all four sides for almost one and a half decade.

Led by JI provincial chief Mushtaq Ahmad, former lawmaker Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Haroonur Rashid and others, the participants of the rally chanted slogans “Down with America”, “Dump Trump”, “Down with Israel” and “Al-Quds is ours.”

The participants of the rally later burnt an effigy of the US President Donald Trump to vent their anger.

Addressing the rally, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and other leaders criticised the US for the controversial decision, saying the entire world had rejected the Jerusalem as Israeli capital.

He said that the Muslim world should stand united and tell the US that they will never ever accept Jerusalem as part of Israel as it always belonged to Muslims.

The JI leader said that United States is triggering violence all over the world for the last many years and many Muslim countries have been attacked.

A worst traffic jam was witnessed in the provincial capital due to the rally as the main road connecting city with Saddar remained blocked for hours. The city is already witnessing the worst traffic congestion due to construction work on Bus Rapid Transit and checking points on the busy roads.