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Protests against blasphemous film grip Pakistan; one killed
Friday September 21, 2012 06:00:01 PM,
IANS
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Islamabad:
One person was gunned down Friday when a demonstration against an
anti-Islam film turned violent in Peshawar. Pakistan summoned a US
diplomat to lodge an official protest and Prime Minister Raja
Pervez Ashraf said freedom of expression must not be used to
insult religions.
Protests took place across the country Friday against the
anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims" that has triggered angry
demonstrations around the world. Bloody clashes took place as the
country observed Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (love of Prophet Mohammad
day).
Pakistan summoned US Charge D'Affaires Richard Hoagland and a
strong protest was lodged with him over the blasphemous video
posted on YouTube.
The demonstration in Peshawar took an ugly turn when the
protestors set fire to two cinemas.
Protestors damaged the Chamber of Commerce building while in a
firing incident on GT Road, an employee of a private TV channel
was killed and seven others were injured, Geo News reported.
A cinema guard opened fire, injuring one person, when a crowd
armed with clubs and bamboo poles converged on the Firdaus picture
house, smashing it up and setting furniture ablaze, police officer
Gohar Ali said.
Witnesses said the crowd stormed Shama cinema, smashing windows
and setting it afire.
Authorities used shipping containers to block roads leading to the
US consulate, the offices of Western aid organisations and other
key buildings in the city.
The authorities have also shut down the mobile phone network in 15
cities across the country in an effort to contain the violence.
Violence also took place in Rawalpindi as demonstrators took to
the roads leading to capital Islamabad and pelted cars and police
with stones and burned down a booth at a toll plaza, said Mohammad
Munir, a police official.
In capital Islamabad, at least five people were arrested and
police used tear gas shelling to deter the protestors from
entering the heavily fortified red zone.
Several containers have also been place around the red zone and a
posse of police personnel were deployed. The army was also on
alert.
A day earlier, huge crowds had attempted to storm Islamabad's
diplomatic enclave. The army was summoned to Islamabad to protect
the diplomatic enclave and other sensitive areas of the city.
On Friday, Pakistan summoned US Charge D'Affaires Richard Hoagland
to the foreign ministry in Islamabad and a strong protest was
lodged with him over the blasphemous video posted on YouTube.
"The US diplomat was told that this was an attack on 1.5 billion
Muslims and a premeditated and a malicious act to spread hatred
and violence among people of different faiths," reported Xinhua
citing the foreign ministry.
The foreign ministry said the American diplomat was further
conveyed that the US government should immediately take measures
to remove the sacrilegious video from YouTube and take action
against its author, a statement said.
The Pakistani government called for peaceful protest and declared
Friday as a national holiday to facilitate the people to join the
protest.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf spoke at a largely-attended
gathering in Islamabad and condemned the anti-Islam movie and
stressed that no one should insult religions under the excuse of
freedom of expression.
Ashraf said freedom of expression could not be an excuse for
insulting religious beliefs and inciting hatred.
Speaking at an official function in Islamabad as part of the
nationwide protest against the anti-Islam film "Innocence of
Muslims" made in the US, he said no one should be allowed to
defame religion on the excuse of freedom of expression.
"Let me make it absolutely clear: this is not about freedom of
expression, this is more about hatred, and it also demonstrates
blatant double-standards," Ashraf said.
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