LAHORE, Sept 18: Though on the orders of the prime minister, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has blocked YouTube for posting an anti-Islam online film, public protests, mainly against the US, continued in Punjab on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s protests were not on the scale as those on Sunday and Monday as no US diplomatic mission was endangered.

Minorities’ Alliance Pakistan workers held a protest near the Lahore Press Club and chanted slogans against the US for avoiding action against the film producer. The All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca) also staged a rally near the club. The Sunni Ittehad Council announced a countrywide shut down strike on Sept 21 (Friday) in protest at ‘anti-Muslim activities’ across the world. The council also decided to take out a protest rally from GPO Chowk to Nasser Bagh.

BAHAWALPUR: Rallies by lawyers, students and clerks chanted slogans against the film. The students of the Government Sadiq Egertong College boycotted their classes and blocked DIG Chowk.

High court and district bars brought out their rallies and converged at Farid Gate. Clerks’ rally, led by Apca Punjab Secretary-General Fakharur Rehman Azhar, demanded that the government ban the controversial film.GUJRANWALA: College students and traders took out rallies and burnt tyres on road. Students’ rally began from Satellite Town and terminated at Sheranwala Bagh.

Traders marched from Sheranwala Bagh to Gondlanwala Road. Carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans against the US, they declared the US and some European countries the enemies of Islam.

TOBA TEK SINGH: A well-attended rally was taken out by political and religious parties to condemn the online movie.

The main rally consisted of students of colleges and schools, political workers and traders.

The rally was attended by MNA Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry, former district nazim Chaudhry Ashfaq, PTI leader Ghiasuddin Janbaz, PML-N’s Amjad Ali Javed, PPP’s Amer Jabbar, Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth’s Muhammad Aslam, JUI-F’s Mujeebur Rehman, Sunni Tehrik’s Munem Siddiqi, Christian leader Ashfaq Fateh and traders’ leader Chaudhry Muhammad Akram.

A public meeting was held at the end of the rally at Sadar Bazaar Chowk where speakers demanded that the government close Nato supply routes and break diplomatic relations with America.

During the public meeting, people also chanted slogans against the federal government. Due to rallies, traffic remained blocked for three hours on main roads of the city. Traders kept their shops shut.

SIALKOT: The district remained shut and rallies were taken out in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial, Uggoki, Pasrur, Chawinda and Badiana in protest at the blasphemous movie.

In the Sialkot city, people staged a sit-down at Allama Iqbal Chowk and kept the traffic blocked for three hours.