Organisers from the All Pakistan Private Schools Association announced a Gaza march on October 7 outside Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, saying they expect over 40,000 students and teachers to take part. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the National Press Club, where association president Afzal Babar and patron and northern Punjab head Iftikhar Ali Haider addressed the media.
The organisers said the primary objective of the Gaza march is to make children aware of the suffering of Palestinian civilians and the reported atrocities in Gaza. They emphasised that the event will focus on educating students about the humanitarian impact on children, women and young people who have faced repeated attacks over the past two years.
Speakers at the press briefing linked the planned Gaza march to a wider call for public solidarity, noting that recent regional developments have brought renewed attention to Pakistan and the Muslim world. They said a small number of Palestinian fighters have managed to stand against much larger forces and that the march aims to highlight those struggles while urging continued moral support for the Palestinian people.
Organisers also framed the Gaza march as a response to what they described as the silence of national leaders and a bid to awaken public conscience and national pride. They reiterated that the event will be led by teachers and students and urged peaceful participation, stressing the educational purpose of the march and its role in mobilising the private school community in Islamabad and beyond.
