Jamaat e Islami organised Gaza March at Sea View Clifton in solidarity with Palestinians got somewhat half hearted response from Karachites yesterday afternoon.
Being Sunday and with the timing set at 3 in afternoon JI was aiming humongous crowd, but to their shock no more than 500 people turned out with half of them JI workers from nearby vicinity.
March started from Nishan e Pakistan, Seaview at around 3:45pm approximately 45 minutes late from the scheduled time and culminated at Clock Tower around 5pm, covering 1km stretch in 1 hours 45 minutes.
But what startled media present there that nearly half of the participants of march started dispersing half way through when the rally reached near Chaupal restaurant, most of the people who parted ways from march were seen entering the high end restaurant for High Tea and to enjoy cool breeze of the Arabian Ocean.
When NEWS360 enquired from one of the participants of the rally who introduced himself as Umair and was savouring Patties and Pastries at Chaupal that he came to join march as its a healthy activity but he hadn’t had the knowledge that the procession was planned for Gaza. He further said that “I don’t do political rallies hence now I am sitting here sipping coffee with my wife”.
Another participant of the rally Amna told NEWS360 that she usually joins every physical activity on Sea View so she joined this one too. But while talking to this scribe she was entering the play area named Chunky Munky with her children who seemed jubilant to get on the rides which are main feature of the vicinity.
A young girl of 16 years of age named ‘A’ (read name hidden) herself came to NEWS360 and on condition of anonymity showed her displeasure over the political rallies being organized on Sea View. She said that “we are a bunch of class fellows and are residents of nearby DHA Phase 8, but these political rallies has ruined our Sundays, as we don’t get to roam around freely to enjoy our weekends on sea side”.
When she was told that this rally is for Gaza and to highlight the plight of the Palestinians, she said “who is coming to address us Pakistanis grievances first?”
She futher said “We need peace, harmony and well being for us first, we can worry about Gaza later”.
Meanwhile JI Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar while addressing rally said that Palestinians have been facing a bloodshed, genocide, bombardment, death and hunger for the past 450 days but the majority of world powers and Muslim countries have been supporting the genocide either by sponsoring it through arms deals or diplomatic support or by keeping mum over the crimes against humanity in Gaza by Israel.