Traders across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have declared a province-wide shutdown strike on April 26 to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The announcement came from Mushtaq Ahmed Khalil, Senior Vice President of the Jamiat Business Forum, who confirmed that the strike will include all major cities, including Peshawar. He added that trade unions throughout K-P have pledged full support for the protest.
A planning meeting is scheduled for April 24 in Peshawar to finalize the strike’s logistics. Khalil mentioned that efforts for a peaceful and coordinated closure of markets are already underway.
He also noted that social media is being widely used to amplify the boycott of Israeli products in conjunction with the strike. Discussions are ongoing with various market groups and transportation sector representatives to ensure broader participation.
The protest aligns with Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) nationwide strike also set for April 26. JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced the strike during a major rally on the Islamabad Expressway, condemning the ongoing violence in Gaza.
Rehman described the situation as a genocide, saying over 51,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since Israel’s military action began following Hamas’s October 7 attack.