Protest held in Quetta against Quran burnings at Bagram

Pakistan

Protest held in Quetta against Quran burnings at Bagram

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More than 500 people took to streets in southwestern Pakistan on Thursday.

23 February,2012 10:02 pm

They condemned the burnings of Qurans at a US airbase in Afghanistan.The protestors, mainly from political parties, shouted Down with US, down with Obama, friends of America are traitors, as they gathered in Quetta.Three days of protests over the burning of the Qurans have left 14 people dead, including two US soldiers in Afghanistan.Violent anti-US protests have seen furious Afghans attack French, Norwegian and US bases after the Taliban exhorted their countrymen to kill foreign troops to avenge the incident at a US-run base.The burning of Qurans is a conspiracy to hurt the feelings of Muslims, said Hafiz Fazal Muhammad, a senior leader of pro-Taliban Jamiatul Ulema-e-Islam (Ideological) party, which organised the protest rally.In a letter of apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, US President Barack Obama expressed deep regret over the incident that he said was unintentional and pledged that those responsible would be held accountable, Kabul said.Activisits from Jamat-e-Islami party and charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa also participated in the rally, which local senior police official Tariq Manzoor said was attended by more than 500 people.Jamaat-ud-Dawa operates hospitals, schools and relief centres.--Agencies