Pakistan religious groups observe black day

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's religio-political groups were observing black day today to protest against a French satirical magazine which republished cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, considered as un-Islamic by Muslims.

The satirical weekly published the contents on Wednesday after an attack on its office in Paris by two gunmen last week in which 12 people were killed.

Various groups and parties announced yesterday to organize countrywide protest against the publication after Friday prayers.

The Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool, a conglomerate of 20 plus groups, Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamat-ud Dawa, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Sunni Tehreek and Sunni Ittehad Council also announced launching a countrywide protest movement against the publication.

The movement will begin with a grand protest at Chauburji in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province.

The government has taken security measures to keep the protesters within limits of law but it is feared that these protests can become violent.

Several people were killed in Pakistan when religious parties protested against the Innocence of Muslim movie in 2013.