ISLAMABAD: Protest rallies to express solidarity with oppressed Palestinians were taken out in Islamabad on Sunday.

Hundreds of people took part in the rallies and chanted slogans against Israeli continued aggression and atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza.

They also called on international community to play its role and stop genocide of Palestinians.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations, Pakistan has paid tribute to staff members of Relief and Works Agency for their work in Gaza to serve Palestinians despite continued Israeli bombardment.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Munir Akram speaking at the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, which deals with special political and decolonization issues paid high tributes to the agency and also renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire.

He expressed great admiration for the courageous work of UNRWA which has lost more than 70 staff members.

The Pakistani envoy called UNRWA workers “martyrs”, rejecting ” with contempt” the “wild” allegations earlier made by the Israeli delegate that the UN agency was providing shelter to the Hamas fighters in its facilities.

He said Pakistan will continue to support UNRWA until the Palestinian refugees are able to return to their homeland, once they establish an independent and viable contiguous state within the borders of pre-1967 June, with Al-Aqsa as its capital.