The controversial US-made film on Islam, which has sparked protests across the world, was also condemned by different political and religious parties, who took out protest rallies in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, demanding expulsion of US envoy from Pakistan and urging death for the film-maker.
Protests were held after Friday prayers outside mosques including Lal Masjid and G-6 Imam Bargah against the blasphemous video, uploaded on social networking site YouTube recently by the film makers. The protesters demanded to expel the US Ambassador out of Pakistan and cut off ties with America.
The protesters chanted slogans against US including "Death to America" and "America Ka Jo Yar Ghaddar Hay", "Jihad is the only treatment to cure American cancer," and chanted slogan against the filmmaker demanding to hang him. Heavy contingent of security personnel was deployed on the occasion to avert any untoward incident. The protesters demanded to handover Terry Jones, an American Christian pastor linked with the film. Terry Jones should be handed to us for a trial in a court of law, they demanded.
The protestors said that by holding rallies and staging protests against the heinous act of US citizen "we want to express our deep respect and honour to our Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)". Hundreds of protesters rallied from G-5 Imam Bargah toward diplomatic enclave organised by Majlis Wahdatul Muslameen which led to brief scuffles with police at a police barricade near diplomatic enclave, however, due to strict security arrangements the rally culminated near a hotel.
Allama Ameen Shaheedi speaking on the occasion said the film should be banned across the world and the filmmakers should be severely punished. He said the government of Pakistan should expel the US ambassador and also demanded that the US should apologise for the film. "We will continue our protest till the government expels the US ambassador", he warned.
The protesters threw shoes at US and Israeli flags and set them ablaze. Hafiz Hussain Ahmad, central leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) addressing a rally in front of Lal Majid said the movie was supported by the US, and was aimed at igniting the sentiments of Muslims using different tactics.
He demanded of the government to lodge a protest with the US ambassador in this regard. "After facing defeat in Afghanistan and Iraq, this is the reaction of western and they want to take revenge from us [Muslims] through such things, for which a so-called civilised society should be ashamed of going to lowest ebb to achieve its nefarious goals", he said.
He said the non-government organisation (NOGs), which always raised the issue of interfaith harmony, should come forward and ask America either it was interfaith harmony or creating hatred among different religions. He also asked religious parties to be united against America. Lieutenant General Hameed Gul (Retd), who is former chief of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), and other leaders of different religious and political parties also spoke on the occasion and later the protesters dispersed peacefully. Meanwhile the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police have put strict security measures in place to beef up the security to avert any untoward incident.
Over 7,000 personnel of the police, including commandos, anti-terrorism squad, quick response, anti-riot units, Punjab police along with rescue teams of the local administration were deployed in and around Aabpara and the red zone for maintaining law and order and intercept the protesters in case they tried to march towards the US embassy. The PTA in a statement issued here on Thursday claimed that it had blocked access to the blasphemous movie.
In response to some questions sent to PTA, seeking its version about its negligence to block the controversial film, the Authority issued a statement which said: "The PTA blocks access to anti-Islamic video in Pakistan". According to PTA, it has proactively blocked and vigorously preventing all access to anti-Islamic video placed on world-wide web via YouTube with the name of "Innocence of Muslims". The Authority is in close liaison with all the service providers for immediate blocking of the provocative video being uploaded with changed Internet Protocol from abroad. Proactive monitoring and blocking is being done round the clock.