KARACHI, Aug 22: Different organizations took out rallies on Sunday to register their protest against the US-led attacks in Najaf, considered to be holy by Muslims.

A rally was taken out by the Imamia Students Organization (ISO) from Numaish which culminated near the Tibet Centre. The rally was attended by scores of protesters.

Speaking on the occasion MNA Mohammad Hussein Mehanti said a resolution would be tabled on the floor of the National Assembly, calling on Washington to withdraw from Najaf and to stop its military operation there.

He said there were no differences between the Shias and Sunnis in Pakistan. But the agencies, by sponsoring bomb blasts in Imambargahs, had tried to create differences between the two communities, he claimed.

Those who spoke included Maulana Baqar Zaidi, Allama Furqan Haider, Maulana Nisar Ahmed Qalandari of Jaffaria Alliance and Mujahid Abbas of ISO. Chanting slogans against the United States, the demonstrators expressed anguish over the American military operation in Najaf. They also demanded that the US troops pull out immediately from the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.

A protest demonstration was also organized by the Shia Ulema Council the protest rally of which was staged in Saddar. The rally was led by Allama Hasan Turabi. Allama Turabi criticized the Iraqi government for taking little action to ensure that the shrine of Hazrat Ali (RA) remained safe.

Meanwhile, the traffic police had erected several blockades to stop the people from reaching the spot where the rally was to take place. Traffic on Abdullah Haroon Road had been diverted to Shahrah-i-Iraq where another barrier awaited the motorists.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after staging the demonstration. According to a spokesman for the ISO, initially the CCPO had granted permission to take out the rally but late on Saturday he changed his mind. On Sunday afternoon the police blocked the M.A. Jinnah Road by parking some water and oil tankers on it.