KARACHI, March 21: Anti-war protest rallies were held all over the country on Friday.

The protests, held in response to a call by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, passed off peacefully. A partial strike was observed in many cities.

The largest demonstration was reported from Peshawar. MMA MNAs Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Sabir Awan, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Senator Prof Mohammad Ibrahim and others led the protesters.

Speakers condemned the US military action against the innocent Iraqis.

Rallies were also held in Islamabad and Rawalpindi as well as in Karachi, Lahore and several other places. Amid slogans of “death to America”, demonstrators burned American and British flags and effigies of US President George Bush.

They carried banners and placards, some of which read “Stop genocide of Muslims” and “No blood for oil”.

MMA leaders in Quetta asked Muslim countries to sever diplomatic ties with Washington.

According to one report, Christians in Northern Areas decided to observe two days of fasting to pray for an end to war.