LAHORE - The leaders of religious, political and minority parties as well condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in US, demanding Washington take stern action against the fanatic pastors. The religious factions announced launching a countrywide protest drive from Friday (March 25) against the heinous act. The religious parties and group including Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamaatud Dawa, Tehrik Hurmat-i-Rasool, Markazi Jamiat Ahle-Hadith, Sunni Ittehad Council and others have decided to launch nationwide protests on Friday on separate occasions. JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan called for an emergency OIC meeting to work out unified and strong line of action on the issue and draft an international legation to protect the sanctity of the religion. Tehrik Hurmat-i-Rasool Pakistan convener Maulana Ameer Hamza and senior leader of JuD after chairing a meeting said the leaders of the Tehrik also decided to summon a moot of religious and political parties very soon for devising a joint strategy to counter the such acts. The other leaders who denounced the desecration include Allama Zubair Zaheer, Maulana Amjad, Pir Naubahar Shah, Maulana Yusuf Ehrar, Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Ropri and others. Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Prof Sajid Mir at his address to Khatam-i-Naboat Conference at Shahdara called the desecration an act of war against the Ummah. He said that the age of clash of civilizations started by the blasphemous acts of crusaders and zionists, while the Qadiyanis were busy in hatching conspiracies against the state with the connivance of non-believers. Sunni Ittehad Council head Sahibzada Fazl Karim demanded the government boot out the US ambassador, stressed the UN, OIC and international community to take stern measures against the blasphemers. Condemning the sacrilegious act, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and former Punjab chief Minster Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi demanded the UN, US to nab the two fanatics. PML-Ns Pervaiz Rasheed said that parliamentary party meeting of the joint houses have presented a condemnation resolution on the most serious issue as well as demanded the government press the US administration to send the mad pastors like Jones and Sapp to a mental hospital besides registering strong protest to the US through Pakistani emissary in Washington. ANP central leader Haji Adeel declared it a religious terrorism against the Muslims. Moreover, He said the government should also lodge a strong protest with the Americans. MQMs Haider Abbas Rizvi also called for nabbing the two blasphemers. Former FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi declared the act attack on the Muslims. PML-Q (Like-Minded Group) central leader, Kashmala Tariq said the people who label the Muslims as extremists were hiding the extremist in their folds. AML chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed called upon the Muslim world to launch massive protests against the blasphemous act. Pakistan National Christian Party chairman Joseph Francis condemned the act, saying that the act was a violation of UN resolutions on the religion and belief and they should punished according to law and their case should be preceded in ICJ. The Archbishop of Lahore and head of the Catholic Church in Pakistan, Archbishop Lawrence John Saldana expressed his anger over the desecration.