ISLAMABAD, March 17: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) announced on Wednesday to hold protest demonstrations throughout the Punjab province on Friday to condemn the ongoing military operation in South Waziristan agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Punjab PML-N secretary-general and MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq told reporters at the parliament house that the protest rallies would be held after Friday prayers in all major cities and towns of the province.

He said the PML-N believed that the operation was being carried out on the directives of foreign powers and innocent people were being killed in a so-called war against terrorism.

Asked why the protest rallies were not being arranged under the banner of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, Mr Rafiq said though the PPP and the PML-N had joined hands against the present military regime, they were two different parties. "Perhaps the PML-N is feeling more pain than other parties over the killing of innocent people of tribal areas," he added.