ISLAMABAD, Jan 16: Leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal pledged on Monday to keep up their protests against a failed air strike targeting Al Qaeda’s number two which Islamabad said led to the deaths of 18 civilians.

Newspapers and television channels here devoted substantial coverage to street protests on Sunday by thousands of people in major cities and ran critical editorials.

“The protest against the US air strike in (the) Bajaur (Agency) will continue,” said Shahid Shamsi, spokesman for the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, an alliance of religious parties that forms part of opposition.

“We will continue to protest until all American troops are not sent back from Pakistan, until parliament’s sovereignty is restored and until an independent election commission is constituted,” he said.

Even the Pakistan Muslim League took the rare step of calling a protest meeting on Monday over the missile raid.—AFP