LAHORE, March 28: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal observed a black day on Friday to protest against the US invasion of Iraq.

The six-party alliance staged a rally from Jamaat-i-Islami’s headquarters in Mansoora after Juma prayers, yelling anti-US slogans. They urged the government to take a clear-cut stand on the US invasion of Iraq at the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking to the participants in the rally, MMA leaders said thousands of innocent Iraqis, including women and children, had been killed in bombardment by the US-British forces on residential districts, hospitals and schools. They said the US aimed to subjugate the entire Muslim world and wanted to dismember other Gulf countries to weaken the Islamic states.

A JI spokesman said the Ulema across the country had denounced the US-led aggression against Iraq in their Juma sermons and urged the Muslims around the world to condemn atrocities against the Iraqi brethren. They also called upon the Pakistan government to take up a pro-Iraq stand.

Reports reaching here from other parts of the Punjab said the MMA had held small demonstrations outside mosques and staged rallies in different districts to observe the black day.