Why it matters:
The student-led protest reflects growing global youth solidarity with the Palestinian cause and signals rising anger in Pakistan over U.S.-Israeli policies in the Middle East.
What they're saying:
Student leaders Asif Awan and Muhammad Ehtesham said that since October 7, 2023, Israel has continued its genocide in Gaza. “Students worldwide are risking their careers to shake the conscience of so-called human rights champions,” they declared.They also warned that if Muslim rulers do not act, the U.S. and Israel will expand aggression to other Muslim regions. “Pakistani students are ready to surround the U.S. Embassy if this silence continues,” they said.
Key points:
- Students held placards condemning Israel and carried symbols honoring Palestinian martyrs.
- The protest was peaceful but symbolic, ending with the burning of an effigy of Netanyahu and the Israeli flag.
- Calls were made for Muslim unity and action, framing the support for Gaza as both a humanitarian and religious obligation.
- Leaders accused global powers of complicity in Israeli aggression and urged immediate response from the Muslim world.
Go deeper:
This demonstration is part of a wider wave of global student activism, with campuses from the U.S. to Europe witnessing similar rallies in solidarity with Palestinians. In Pakistan, such protests are increasingly being seen as a form of both political expression and grassroots diplomacy.
ahmad shirzadian
