Hundreds protest against cartoons despite ban on rallies

Lahore: Hundreds of Muslims protested against the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) cartoons yesterday in two eastern Pakistan cities where rallies have been banned.

In Multan, 500 people rallied through the city centre chanting "Allah-o-Akbar", or "God is Great", and "death to America."

They burned American and Danish flags as well as effigies of the Danish prime minister and a cartoonist.

They marched for several hundred metres before they were stopped by 300 police in riot gear. The protesters dispersed peacefully.

Elsewhere in the city, 300 lawyers staged a separate demonstration.

The protests came a day after police prevented a weekend rally in Lahore, where thousands of protesters went on a rampage two weeks ago, burning shops and fighting with police.

Lahore Police arrested Pir Mohammad Afzal Qadri, Central Ameer of World Tanzeem Ahl-e-Sunnat and 200 of his associates from Lahore Railway Station yesterday morning before they could lead a march from Lahore to Rawalpindi.

Pir Mohammad Afzal Qadri was rounded up by the police before the start of the Namoos-e-Risalat (Pride of the Prophet) march.

Dozens of other activists of the World Tanzeem Ahl-e-Sunnat, who were moving towards Lahore Railway Station to take part in the Namoos-e-Risalat march, were also taken in custody from different areas of Lahore.

Before being arrested, Pir Mohammad Afzal Qadri told reporters that the publication of blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet was the worst kind of attack on Muslims' faith by anti-Islam forces and therefore the Muslim Ummah should take every possible step to prevent such acts by non-Muslims in future.

He said that the government should withdraw the amendment in the Blasphemy Act-295/3 and make it clear to the world that the publication of sacrilegious caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was simply intolerable for Muslims.

Qadri said that Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) should also convene an emergency meeting and conduct legislation to prevent such blasphemous acts.

He said that government should also urge United Nations for legislation in this regard.

He said those who published blasphemous cartoons must be severely punished.

Meanwhile, the women's wing of the six party religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) staged a protest demonstration in Lahore to condemn the publication of the caricatures.

The speakers at the rally regretted that instead of joining hands with those who are condemning the cartoons, the government has resorted to baton charge, teargas and arrests.

- With inputs from AP