ISLAMABAD, June 7: Bishop John Samuel and representatives of all churches in Pakistan on Friday called for convening a world assembly of religious notables to bring durable peace to the South Asian region.

The demand was made in a memorandum presented by the Christian clerics to the UN representative in Pakistan here.

The clerics resolved that the proposed assembly of all religions would help resolve outstanding issues between Pakistan and India including Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is now nearly six months that the armed forces of India and Pakistan are standing eyeball to eyeball on the international borders and Line of Control.

“Both India and Pakistan are armed with nuclear weapons and delivery system. Over one billion people of the sub-continent are sitting on the edge of a volcano which may erupt any moment to render this region into ruins and rubble.

“We the Christians as the followers of Prince of Peace Jesus Christ have a special responsibility in this hell-like situation,” the memorandum stated.

It said: “About 40 per cent of the population of South Asia is already living below the poverty line.

Overwhelming majority of Christians in both countries are downtrodden and economically backward.

“The prolonged stand of has further worsened their condition to near starvation point. All the efforts of the social welfare organizations to economically uplift the Christian community since independence have already been frustrated by the stand off,” it added. It said there was no room for any further squeeze.

The outbreak of war would completely annihilate them, it added.

“All the appeals so for made by world leaders for de- escalation have not been heeded by Indian officials. President Gen Pervez Musharraf has taken a reasonable stance of simultaneous de-escalation and dialogue process, the leaders said in the memorandum.

They said: “We representatives of all churches in Pakistan appeal to all religious leaders and institutions in general and Christians in particular to rise to the occasion before it is too late”.

A world assembly of all religious notables might be convened to take stock of the situation and a friendly hand be extended to leadership of both the countries to help resolve the contentious issues in judicious manners so that durable peace could come to the region, they added.

Meanwhile, the World Minority Congress leader, Julius Salik, still in a cage, accompanied the procession.

Mr Salik has confined himself to a steel cage for over last six months to promote the cause of solidarity.

Bishop Wilson John Gill of the United Holiness Church and Founder of Quaid-i-Azam World Peace Mission; Father Francis Nadeem, Priest Catholic Church, Lahore, and executive secretary National Commission for Christian-Muslim Relations; Abraham Daniel, mission coordinator Gospel Mission Pakistan Sahiwal; Emmanuel Iqbal, IGM Church Rawalpindi; Dr Marqus Fida, the chairman, International Gospel Mission and Father John Vianney, Khatoon-i-Mubarik Church, Rawalpindi, were present on the occasion.—PPI