Fresh cartoon protests in Islamabad

Several hundred students chanted "Death to Denmark, Death to America" during a new demonstration in the Pakistani capital.

Several hundred students chanted "Death to Denmark, Death to America" during a new demonstration on Tuesday in the Pakistani capital against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

HT Image

The protesters from local colleges and schools met in central Islamabad and wanted to march on a high-security enclave housing international embassies, but were stopped by police, witnesses said.

The rally comes a day after police in the northwestern city of Peshawar fired teargas to disperse around 4,000 protesters and students denouncing the caricatures.

The cartoons were first published in a Danish daily and then in other newspapers, most of them in Europe. Muslims say the images, including one of the Prophet with a bomb for a turban, are sacrilegious.

Monday's rally protest in Peshawar descended into chaos, with demonstrators smashing traffic lights and hoardings advertising Norwegian telecom giant Telenor. Police said 16 people were arrested.

Protests against the cartoons have been held almost daily in Pakistan. Around 4,000 people gathered in Islamabad on Friday and an effigy of US President George W Bush was burned.

Pakistan's hardline Islamic parties have called for a nationwide strike over the issue on March 3.