LAHORE, Sept 20: People from various walks of life continued protesting against the profane film on Thursday under the banner of different religious and minority organisations.

Various Christian organisations jointly staged a rally on The Mall, demanding exemplary punishment for all those involved, directly or indirectly, in making the profane film.

They also set up a protest camp at Charing Cross where Senator Kamran Michael spoke to the protesters.

Mr Michael termed the film a conspiracy to provoke Muslims. “But we will not allow any one to do so. And we, the Christians will foil such bids by all means being citizens of this country and brothers of Muslims,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Badshahi Mosque Khateeb Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said the entire Muslims of the world would not end their protest till hanging of those involved in producing the film.

Another protest rally was taken out by Minhajul Quran International from Railway Station to GPO Chowk. A large number of people marched on various city roads and reached GPO Chowk where MQI chief Dr Allama Tahirul Qadri addressed them telephonically.

Carrying placards and banners, the protesters chanted slogans against the United States for supporting those, involved in producing the film in the name of freedom of expression.

Mr Qadri said the Muslims would never tolerate such blasphemous acts that were causing unrest. He demanded that the Pakistani government should take up the issue with the US seriously rather than issuing routine statements.

FBR: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) staff gathered in front of the regional tax office on Thursday to register their protest against the profane video.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the filmmaker and chanting anti-US slogans, the protesters blocked the AG Office Chowk, causing traffic jam on Mauj Darya, Mozang and Nabha roads for quite sometime.

The protesters demanded that the government should sever diplomatic relations with the US and expel its diplomats from Pakistan. They also urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to seriously take up the issue with the United States.

Federal Revenue Alliance Employees’ Union (FRAEU) Central President Mian Abdul Qayyum expressed concern over the release of the blasphemous video and said that such acts would badly affect world peace.

He regretted that while Muslim do respect and give due regard to the followers of other religions, others do not reciprocate in the same manner.