THATTA, Jan 4: A large number of people from different walks of life took out a procession in Var Ghulamullah on Thursday to condemn the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain.

Led by Ali Ahmed Chandio, Atif Hussain and others, the procession passed through main thoroughfares of the town and culminated into a rally outside Madina Masjid. Participants, including activists of Awami Tehrik and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), were shouting slogans against the execution of Mr Hussain.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chandio and others condemned the holding of the execution on the Eid day and said that Mr Saddam's trial was not conducted fairly and rights of the accused were violated during it.

They said that Mr Saddam could have been awarded life sentence or at least could have been executed after Eid.

They said that the Muslims had taken the execution as a hostile gesture from the west and history would pass the final verdict on the flawed Dujail trial and the cruel execution.