LAHORE, Sept 22: There was a marked difference in rallies against anti-Islam film on Saturday as scores of protesters, under the banner of various religious parties, paraded on city roads and reached near the US Consulate close to the Lahore Press Club to register their protest rather in a peaceful manner.

Although the police removed containers from all main roads (entry points), leading to Shimla Pahari, their main focused remained on the first and major security layer set up on Empress Road (before Social Welfare Office and the US Consulate building) where they placed several containers.

JUD: A rally organised by Jamaatud Dawa’s (JuD) Almuhammadia Students Pakistan (ASP) was the first one that reached near the press club after scores of students gathered at Nila Gumbad Chowk and started marching on various city roads. Led by JuD leader Ameer Hamza and ASP’s Chief Engineer Muhammad Harris, the participants chanted slogans against the US for promoting terrorism and backing those involved in producing blasphemous films.

“Oh Americans listen carefully. If you don’t prosecute and award death penalty to producers of an anti-Islam film, we will halt operations of your embassies in Pakistan,” Hamza warned the US while addressing on the occasion. He urged the Muslim countries to establish their own United Nations that could protect rights of Muslims across the world.

Engineer Haris said that anti-Islam forces were playing with the sentiments of Muslims under a planned conspiracy.

KALMA: Scores of activists of the Sarwari Jamaat (Kalma Party) held a protest rally and also staged a sit-in outside the press club. Party chief Sakhi Sultan Baba Jani Sarkar said the Muslims across the world could never tolerate continuous blasphemous acts being committed mainly in the West.

“We will not accept less than a death sentence for blasphemers. We urge the US to punish the blasphemers as we are not going to compromise on it,” he said.JUP: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani group) also held a demonstration outside the press club.

Led by Mufti Akhlaq Hussain, the participants chanted slogans against the US for not taking action against blasphemers and the Pakistani government for not taking up the issue with the US seriously.