Hundreds of women in Pakistani Punjab have demonstrated in protest against the increasing level of violence in and around the city of Multan.

Speakers at a rally in Multan criticised the authorities for failing to prevent sectarian attacks, mainly against Shia Muslims, which have left fifty people dead in the past month.

The Inspector General of the Punjab police told the BBC that police were making their best efforts to destroy what he called a network of terrorists in southern Punjab.

Twenty-four activists of militant Sunni organisations were arrested overnight on Tuesday.