Supporters of religious parties, including Jamaatud Dawa and Jamaat-e-Islami, staged protests after the Friday prayers against a sacrilegious film by an American amateur filmmaker.
Hundreds of Jamaatud Dawa activists led by the organization’s chief Hafiz Saeed staged a demonstration outside Jamia Qadsia at Chauburji.
The protesters shouted slogans against the filmmaker and the American government and demanded stern punishment for the people behind the anti-Islam film.
Addressing the protesters, Hafiz Saeed, who has a $10 million US government bounty on him, urged the government to summon the American ambassador to protest over the film. “We condemn this conspiracy of producing (an) anti-Islam film. Such blasphemous acts are intentional conspiracies from the US and we will not tolerate it,” he told the rally.
The Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious groups organized protests outside the press club where speakers condemned the anti-Islam film and warned of serious consequences if the perpetrators of the incident were not punished sternly.
The protesters also tried to march towards the US Consulate where strict security measures were taken in wake of recent attacks on US missions across the world after the release of the sacrilegious film on Youtube.
JI chief Munawar Hasan warned that the situation would deteriorate if the government did not expel the US ambassador to Pakistan from the country.
“Such incidents reflect the cowardice of our government. Making of blasphemous films like ‘Innocence of Muslims’ is religious terrorism and we will not allow any person to hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims across the world through such actions,” he said.
The Jamaatud Dawa has , meanwhile, given a protest call at Nila Gumbad on Sunday.
CITIZENS register strong protest over anti-Islam film
