February 22, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 23, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: A strike called by the trading community to protest the blasphemous caricatures brought life to a standstill in the city on Tuesday. All shopping centres, offices and educational institutions remained closed and public transport stayed off the roads. CNG filling stations joined the strike for two hours but had hardly any clients as few private vehicles ventured out in the streets.

Except for a few skirmishes between the protesters and the police, the protest remained peaceful.

Police resisted the protesters’ attempts to block roads by burning tyres in Waris Khan, Ganjmandi, Tehmasipabad, Murree Road and Tipu Road areas. Policemen went after the stone-throwing protesters swinging their batons and rounded up about 30 of them.

Authorities had deployed police and Punjab constabulary personnel in large numbers on the occasion to prevent the protest from turning violent. No damage to any property was reported in the city during the shutter-down strike.

Such protests have become almost a daily occurrence in the country and have acquired an anti-government dimension.

Meanwhile, the editor of a Norwegian magazine has apologised for reproducing the offensive caricatures.

“I deeply apologise ... I have earlier said in public that I regret publishing the cartoons,” said Vebjoern K. Selbakk, editor of Magazinet, in a statement, calling for a dialogue.

Norwegian Minister for Labour and Social Inclusion Bjarne Haekon Hanssen has said “we can choose to use this situation to create division or we can let this be the basis of a new start and build bridges instead of walls”.

Khalil Ahmad adds: Heavy contingents of police and rangers were deployed at all important locations of the city to meet any untoward incident.

At several places, some people burnt tyres and tried to disrupt traffic but the police dispersed them. More than 50 people were arrested and taken to different police stations.