Friday, May 13 2005 20:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan's main Islamic alliance today (May 13, 2005) staged rallies across the country to protest the alleged desecration of the Quran at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay as the National Assembly passed a resolution condemning the alleged incident.

In demonstrations in major cities by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Alam (MMA), the protestors asked the United States to apologise for the incident and punish soldiers responsible for the alleged desecration of the Quran.

Some 200 people took part in the demonstration in the capital chanting anti-US and anti-Musharraf slogans and were holding placards inscribed with slogans "Musharraf should change policy towards America".

They threatened to expand the agitation if the US did not apologise and punish the soldiers.

Attacking President Pervez Musharraf, they asked the Government to declare the US ambassador as 'persona non grata' and expel him unless Washington tenders and apology and punishes the soldiers involved in the incident.

They also demanded breaking diplomatic ties with the United States.

"If the US does not remove the soldiers from service and did not punish them, then the MMA will launch a campaign and will target American interests in Pakistan and across the world," Deputy Secretary General of the MMA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told the rally.

Alleging that the US envoy in Islamabad was interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs in violation of international laws, Ahmed "demanded the expulsion of American ambassador".

A MMA spokesman Shahid Shmasi claimed some 800 demonstrations were organised across Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and other major cities.

Religious scholars in their sermons in Friday prayers also angrily reacted to the alleged incident.

The demonstrators also condemned the reported publication of a cartoon in the "Washington Times", which showed Pakistan as a loyal American dog with a US soldier praising the dog for arresting al-Qaeda member Abu Faraj al-Libbi. The soldier was telling the dog now it is the turn of Osama bin Laden.

In a related development, the National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution condemning the incident.

Some members demanded the American Government to apologise for the incident. They also called for the convening of an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Conference to discuss the issue.