PESHAWAR, May 6: Protest rallies called by the Jamaat-i-Islami across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday to condemn US raid on a compound in Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden failed to attract people in large numbers.

In Peshawar, a rally was taken out from Mahabat Khan Mosque after Friday prayers, which was attended by less then 100 people.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, a great sympathiser of the Taliban and Bin Laden, instead of holding rallies confined its activities to the party affiliated mosques where speakers condemned the incident in their sermons.

A press release issued in Peshawar said the party leaders and ulema flayed the US aggression and 'meaningful silence' of the government and state institutions over the incident. ABBOTTABAD:

On the call of the JI, a protest rally was taken out here after Friday prayers to condemn the US action. The rally started from main Fawara Chowk and after passing through the bazaar ended at Jinnah Chowk.

People from different walks of life attended the rally chanting slogans against the US and Pakistani government.

Provincial chief of JI Senator Professor Ibrahim, who was leading the rally, while addressing the people declared that the raid was carried out to improve the popularity of US president Barack Obama.

Professor Ibrahim questioned the capabilities of Pak Army, “which is said to be one of the strongest armies in the world”. He asked President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to step down after what he described a shameful act.

SWABI:

A protest demonstration was held in Swabi town against the US raid, demanding that the US should stop meddling in country's internal affairs. The demonstration attended by some 400 people was led by the party provincial naib amir Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Mohammad Usman, a former MNA.

The protesters chanted slogans against the US and demanded expulsion of what they said US secret agents from Pakistan.

Swabi district union of journalists also offered funeral prayers of Osama bin Laden in absentia.

The journalists gathered in the district headquarters and marched to Kernel Sher Khan Chowk chanting slogans against the Americans and calling for stoppage of their meddling in the internal affairs of Pakistan.

LOWER DIR:

JI workers came on the roads in different parts of Lower Dir to protest against the American Special Forces' attack and demanded of the government to explain country's actual policy to the nation. The demonstration was led by JI central leader Sirajul Haq. Protests were also held at Koto, Samar Bagh and Chakdara. KOHAT:

The Pasban Movement staged a protest in front of Hangu Press Club to condemn the killing of Osama bin Laden in a covert operation and blamed the Pakistan secret agency for allowing the intrusion of US helicopters inside the country.

The president of Pasban Movement, Hangu, Alamzada Orakzai, and secretary Riaz in their speeches regretted that the government had failed in stopping the massacre of innocent tribesmen in drone attacks by the US. They said the masses, especially the Pakhtuns, were being ruled since 1947 as slaves.

They demanded that the government should accept its responsibility and weakness, which had resulted in violation of country's sovereignty time and again.