QUETTA March 3: A protest strike was observed in the city and district headquarters of the province on the call of the Muttahida Majlis-Amal and other opposition parties against publication of sacrilegious cartoons in some European countries.

Shopping centres, big plazas and shops in the city and suburbs of the provincial capital remained closed. However, chemist stores, vegetable market, meat shops and restaurants carried out their usual business.

Private vehicles, buses and rickshaws plied on the roads in small numbers while inter-city passengers coaches between Quetta and Karachi, Sukkur, Taftan, Lahore and Peshawar continued their operations as usual.

Educational institutions are already closed due to winter vacations. Offices of the provincial and federal governments functioned normally.

Over 20 people were arrested for hurling stones on shops which were open. However, they were let off after the Juma prayer. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the province till the filing of this report. Heavy contingents of police were deployed at sensitive points.

Protesters torched effigy of US President George Bush and flags of some European countries at the end of a rally organized by Jamait Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) at Meezan Chowk.

Addressing the protesters, MNAs Maulana Noor Muhammad and Balochistan’s Minister for Local Governments Hafiz Hussain Ahmed condemned the publication of cartoons.

They said the United States would not succeed in undermining jihad in Iraq and Afghanistan against occupation forces.

They vehemently criticized the operation by security forces in North Waziristan and accused the government of using force against tribesmen to seek pleasure of Washington.