MINGORA, Oct 9: Thousands of people flocked to the roads on Tuesday in favour of the Taliban and condemned the United States and its allies for attacking the war-torn Afghanistan.

The protesters reached the Nishat chowk and staged a big protest demonstration by setting effigy of the US president Bush and raised slogans against the allied forces.

A record number of people belonging to the various political and religious parties attended the public meeting and expressed their anger over the killing of the innocent civilians in Afghanistan.

Leaders of the Jamiat Ulemae-i-Islam, Jamaat Islami, Tehrik Nefazi Shariat Malakand division and some other groups in their speeches condemned the allied forces for attacking Afghanistan and termed it an act of terrorism.

They also criticized President Gen Pervez Musharraf for favouring the US and its other allies for launching a campaign against the Muslims all over the world. They said it was not a war against the terrorism but a conspiracy against the Muslims, they added.

The people pledged to follow the Taliban if the attacks were not stopped forthwith.

The people were wearing black turbans like Taliban and holding sticks, which is a sign of strong protest and used always against the police in case of baton-charge.