By IRNA,
Islamabad: Rallies across Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned desecration of the Holy Quran by American Pastor Terry Jones and demanded of the U.S. administration to punish him for hurting religious sentiments of the Muslims.
Major Islamic parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamait ulema-e-Islam, had called for demonstrations to protest the burning of the Holy Quran in Florida by the fanatic preachers.
Assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa provinces passed resolutions, condemning the incident and described it an attempt to harm religious harmony.
The demonstrators burnt effigies of the American pastor and also blamed the U.S. administration for its failure to stop the desecration of the Holy Quran.
Speakers called upon the United Nations to take notice of the act, saying that its silence would encourage fanatic preachers to carry out such condemnable acts also in the future.
They also urged the Pakistani government to summon the U.S. ambassador for a formal protest.
Rallies were organized in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and many other big and small cities.
The angry protestors also burnt US flags in some cities.
Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari Friday telephoned President Abdullah Gul of Turkey and talked about the recent incident of the deliberate desecration of the Holy Quran by a lunatic in Florida and the need for collectively urging the UN to take note of it and evolve plans for promoting cultural and religious harmony in the world.
The President said that it was time that the downward slide of rationality and sanity was arrested through concerted national and international efforts, presidential spokesman said.
The two Presidents agreed that deliberate desecration of the Holy Quran was a most despicable act and that steps needed to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such irrational acts.
The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties and regional situation, the spokesman said.