Low key protests across Pakistan

One of the largest protests was held in Peshawar

Muslim activists took to the streets across Pakistan after Friday prayers to protest against possible American military action against Afghanistan.

One of the biggest rallies was held in the city of Peshawar, in the tribal-dominated North West Frontier, near the Afghan border.

Helping the US with intelligence, logistics or use of your airspace, land and waters will be enmity to Islam and its followers

Protest pamphlet

But correspondents say the rallies elsewhere were thinly attended and peaceful, especially compared to the ones held last Friday.

Last week, four people were killed in angry protests in the port city of Karachi with crowds of at least 100,000.

Protests

Thousands of protesters waved banners, chanted slogans and burned an effigy of US President George Bush in Peshawar on Friday.

Riot police kept a close watch but there was no violence.

In Karachi, only a few hundred turned out at one rally held in a southern district of the city after Friday prayers.

The protesters are said to represent only 10-15% of Pakistanis

They shouted slogans against President Bush and warned Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf that he would be declared an enemy if he helped the United States attack Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement.

"We will treat you like Bush," shouted a crowd made up of activists from a hardline Sunni organisation, the Sipah-e-Sahaba, who had gathered outside a mosque.

Afghanistan visit

A pamphlet was distributed at congregations in the capital Islamabad, alleging that the fight against terrorism was a pretext for the US to impose itself on the region.

"Listen, Muslims, helping the US with intelligence, logistics or use of your airspace, land and waters will be enmity to Islam and its followers," it said.

"Instead of looking for the real culprits, the Bush administration straightaway blamed Muslims for the September 11 attacks, and declared a war against terrorism," it added.

Correspondents say one of the reasons for the lower turnout at Friday's demonstrations could be the visit of some of Pakistan's Islamic clergy to Afghanistan, as part of a final attempt to persuade the Taleban to hand over the chief suspect of the US attacks, Osama Bin Laden.

The more hardline religious leaders are thought to be awaiting the outcome of the visit before deciding on their future plans of action.

Pakistan has been divided by the move by its government to support the US campaign against Osama Bin Laden, although President Musharraf has said the dissenters are in a minority of about 10-15%.