Afghans, Pakistanis keep up protests

Activists from the Pakistani religious Islamic party Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) shout anti-US slogans during a demonstration in Quetta Friday to denounce the alleged defilement of the Muslim holy book the Quran by US soldiers. The protest was sparked by allegations in Newsweek magazine that interrogators at the US military detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, desecrated the Quran by stuffing it down a toilet to rattle Muslim prisoners. PHOTO: AFP

Three died in clashes between security forces and demonstrators against the alleged abuse of the Koran at Guantanamo Bay, Shafaqullah Shafaq, a doctor at Ghazni hospital in southeastern Afghanistan, told AFP.

Officials said earlier that another three people were killed during protests near Faizabad, capital of northeastern Badakshan province.

Hundreds of hardline Pakistani Muslims burned US flags and effigies of President George W. Bush yesterday to condemn alleged abuse of the Quran at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, witnesses said.

Demonstrators chanted "Death to America" while speakers at rallies called by an alliance of hardline religious parties demanded the US government punish those involved in the reported desecration of the Muslim holy book.

The protests after Friday afternoon prayers, the biggest congregation of the week for Muslims, took place in the capital Islamabad, Pakistan's biggest city Karachi, its second city Lahore and a number of other major towns.

About 6,000 Afghan refugees also staged a demonstration in a camp near the conservative northwestern city of Peshawar, before dispersing peacefully.

Chanting anti-US slogans, they came out of the camp after Friday afternoon prayers and blocked traffic on the road to Cherat, the headquarters of the Pakistan army's special services commando group.

Demonstrators waving brightly coloured banners and placards in the central city of Multan urged the US government to arrest and punish the culprits behind the alleged abuse, reported last week by US magazine Newsweek.