40 NGOs to launch protest campaign

KARACHI - More than 40 NGO's of the country on Friday announced to launch a protest campaign against the aggression of Zionist regime at Gaza. This protest campaign will be launched from the platform of Citizens Against Zionist Aggression (CAZA), a coalition of more than 40 NGOs. They further announced that they would take out a protest rally from Regal Chowk to Karachi Press Club on Saturday (today). Addressing a Press conference here at Press club, the representatives of Civil society and the people belonging to different segments of life including Syed Iqbal Haider, official of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Sharafat Ali of (PILER), Kamal Asfar, former governor of Sindh, Dr Tipu Sultan of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, former secretary of Sindh, Anis Haroon of Aurat Foundation, Dr Haroon and others have appealed all the professional bodies, lawyers, doctors, teachers, students, political workers and peace-loving people to join the rally against the ongoing attacks in Gaza. They have strongly condemned the terrorist acts of Israel on the innocent Gaza people. "At least 700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli army, and almost one third of them were children. Over 3100 have been injured. Schools have been bombed; hospitals have been shattered, and the functional facilities have acute shortage of medicine. Medical teams wishing to enter Gaza are being stopped at the border. Food supplies are drastically low, as humanitarian aid blockade continues." They said that thousands of Palestinians were driven out of their ancestral land and forced in Gaza and West Bank and other countries in the Middle East. Since then they have been living in prison-like conditions. "Over the last 60 years, the Zionist state has systematically killed Palestinians and destroyed their orchards and farm lands. They would never have succeeded in the occupation of Palestine and their brutalities towards the Palestinians without the active support of US and UK. If the torture on Palestinians has come to an end, than the forces supporting Israel must be unveiled and systematically defused." They appealed to the world to denounce all forms of aggression by Israel on the Palestinians. Gaza must not be converted into hell by Israel. The people must extend solidarity to the Palestinians by raising their voices. They said that it was imperative that their protests symbolise peace. All our meetings and rallies shall represent solidarity for justice and peace and for an end to Zionist aggression. "Without worldwide solidarity, political and social change is not possible."

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