LAHORE: Leaders of all religions and sects in the country have appealed to the international community to play their role immediately in ending Israeli aggression and brutality on Gazans.

They have also appealed to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to springinto action for ending the persecution of the oppressed Palestinians and to strike a permanent ceasefire in Gaza besides establishing an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.

Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman and PM`s Special Representative Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi and, All Pakistan Minorities Alliance chief Dr Paul Bhatti along with leaders of other religions and sects told a press conference here on Sunday that what was happening in Gaza was not against the followers of anyreligion but against humanity and the international community must immediately play its role to check the inhuman treatment being meted to innocent civilians in Gaza.

They said that Islamic countries must also play their full role against Israeli aggression to end Israeli fascism.

They regretted that the church hospital in Gaza was also bombarded by Israel as the Israeli war against Hamas has become a war against humanity.

They lamented that so far 13,000 people, including 5,000 children, had been martyred in Gaza, while the world was calling for an end to the aggression so that relief activities could be started for the injured and other helpless civilians.

They demanded that the world should go beyond simple appeals and take practical steps for forcing Tel Aviv to allow relief activities in Gaza, where innocent children, women and churches had been targeted by the Israeli forces.