Pakistan cracks down on Pro-Palestine protesters days after PM Shehbaz's condemnation of Israeli war crimes

In a shocking turn of events, Islamabad police arrested Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, his wife Humaira Tayyaba, and several party workers on Sunday for holding a pro-Palestine protest in the federal capital.

The arrests were made when the Save Gaza movement patron-in-chief, along with his workers, was protesting outside Islamabad National Press Club. 

The protesters were demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon, condemning the killing of innocent civilians and the recent assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike.

The crackdown came just days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned Israel's bombings in Lebanon and Gaza while speaking at the high-level open debate of the Security Council on "Leadership for Peace" during the 79th UN General Assembly Session.

On September 25, PM Shehbaz urged the UN Security Council to take action against Tel Aviv's "genocidal war" in Gaza, calling for sanctions, including an arms and trade embargo.

"We must compel Israel to halt its genocidal war in Gaza and prevent its attempts to provoke a wider conflict in the Middle East," the premier stated.

However, the Pakistani authorities' action against pro-Palestine protesters starkly contrasts with the premier's condemnation.

The discrepancy between Pakistan's official stance and its domestic actions raises questions about the government's commitment to upholding human rights and supporting the Palestinian cause. 

The situation in Gaza is dire, with over 41,000 Palestinians losing their lives, including 16,456 children and 11,000 women. 

Israeli military offensives have also left almost 95,497 people injured, and two-thirds of buildings across the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. 

Furthermore, Israeli attacks have killed at least 270 aid workers.

The restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies have exacerbated the situation in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed Israel to ensure basic services and humanitarian aid delivery in the besieged enclave.

The Palestinian government's information office reported that almost 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced due to relentless air and artillery strikes by the Israeli military.

Thousands of children in Gaza have been diagnosed with malnutrition, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Earlier, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) head Cindy McCain said people in Gaza are starving to death.

The WFP estimated that around 1.1 million people are "struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation" due to Israel's severe restrictions on food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to the besieged enclave.