LAHORE, March 30: Over 1,000 members of various NGOs from all over the country took out a procession outside the Lahore Press Club on Sunday to protest against the US-led invasion of Iraq and demanded immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq.

Earlier, they passed a resolution at a convention of the Pakistan NGO Forum held at a banquet hall on Davis Road, criticizing heavy bombardment of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities and described it as an open aggression, lawlessness, state terrorism and violation of the international laws and the UN Charter. It also condemned heavy loss of life and property caused by the attack and use of weapons of mass destruction.

The resolution said that the attack was not a clash of civilizations but for the vested interests of the US and the UK for the control of natural resources of the Middle East. It demanded that a war tribunal should be constituted by the UN for the trial of coalition leaders for committing war crimes. The resolution also appealed to the people of Pakistan to boycott all American goods and persuade the government to scrap all construction and supply contracts awarded to the US and the UK firms.

Through another resolution, the convention supported the demands of the people affected by the construction of the Chashma Right Bank Canal regarding the payment of adequate compensation for their lands acquired by the authorities for the project or distribution of lands in lieu of their lands and re-opening of roads for the convenience of the people of the area which had been closed as the project was started.

Another resolution said that the NGOs would not accept any government policy or law passed in violation of the fundamental rights given in the Constitution and rejected all unconstitutional and illegal provisions in the NGOs registration ordinance. It said that the registration should be made voluntary and not obligatory. The convention expressed its grave concern over cutting of centuries old juniper trees in the forests of Ziarat in Balochistan by the people in connivance with forest department officials and urged the government to take steps to stop the loss of valuable trees and save environment.