ISLAMABAD, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- People in Pakistan Friday staged rallies in the capital Islamabad and other major cities to condemn a blasphemous U.S.-made movie and demanded punishment to all those involved. The demonstrations ended peacefully and no incident of violence took place.
Paramilitary soldiers and riot police stopped angry demonstrators in Islamabad who wanted to march towards the U.S. embassy. The demonstration was organized by Shiite group 'Wahdat-e- Muslimeen".
Maulana Amin Shaheedi, a central leader of the group speaking at the rally demanded the government to break diplomatic relations with the U.S..
The demonstrators in Islamabad wanted to march to the U.S. embassy were stopped by the security men at the busy Aabpara market. They broke the police barrier and run towards the U.S. embassy. But another group of paramilitary troops and police stopped them near the highly security diplomatic enclave where the U.S. embassy is located.
The demonstrators then dispersed after the leaders delivered speeches. At one point police used batons to disperse the demonstrators.
A religious cleric Fazal-ur-Rahman Kahlil said that the movie maker encouraged to make the controversial film as the U.S. administration has failed to punish its soldiers who had been involved in desecration of the holy Muslim Book Quran.
"Had the U.S. punished its soldiers who had been involved in previous blasphemous acts, no one in the U.S. would dare make such documentary," he told a protest rally in Islamabad.
Jamaat-e-Islami party also staged a demonstration in Islamabad where the demonstrators demanded that the U.S. should apologise for the film.
Pakistan has already blocked access to the movie and the Pakistani parliament has asked the United Nations to inquire into the matter.
Hundreds of Jamaat-e-Islami supporters took out a rally in the northwestern city of Peshawar where the speakers claimed that the movie was supported by the U.S., and it was trying to provoke extremism by using different tactics. The party members and supporters threatened to attack the U.S. embassy in Islamabad if the Pakistani government did not protest against the film.
Jamaat Chief Munawar Hassan, addressing a protest rally in Karachi, demanded that the U.S. government ban the movie and also demanded the interior ministry of Pakistan lodge a protest with the U.S. ambassador.
Jamaat-e-Islami also organized rally in Lahore where the speaker urged people to come out on streets to condemn the movie.
Apart from religious entities, the lawyers also protested against the film and boycotted all court proceedings. They said that the government should demand the U.S. to offer a formal apology for hurting the sanctity of the Muslims or shut down their embassy. The lawyers also demanded a boycott of all U.S. products.
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