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More die in Pakistan protest

B. Muralidhar Reddy

NWFP Chief Minister Durrani blames riots on "troublemakers"

ISLAMABAD: Three more persons were killed in protests, for the second consecutive day, against cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in different parts of Pakistan on Wednesday.

Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), reported maximum trouble. Two persons died in the city when police fired tear gas shells and fired in the air to quell disturbances involving an estimated 50,000 demonstrators. Offices of multinational companies and foreign food chain outlets were the target of the mob.

In Lahore, a youth died in crossfire between police and protesters in Punjab University's New Campus area after rioters started hurling stones at security forces and passing vehicles. On Tuesday, two persons were killed in the city when a security guard of a bank opened fire to stop the advancing crowd.

Frontier Chief Minister Akram Durrani blamed the riots on "troublemakers" but maintained that his Government would not ban rallies against the offensive cartoons. He appealed to the protesters to remain peaceful.

According to local media reports trouble spread to Tank, a remote town south of Peshawar, where a policeman was wounded by a pistol shot as a mob torched some 25 video and music shops.

Surprise over outbursts

In nearby Dera Ismail Khan, some 3,000 demonstrators attacked a Pakistani bank and smashed the windows of the offices of Norwegian mobile phone company Telenor before dispersing. Diplomatic and political observers here are surprised at the street outbursts. Most protests in recent weeks have passed off peacefully.

The sudden upsurge in anger has left observers wondering if some interested parties are trying to make political capital of the people's mood ahead of the scheduled visit of U.S. President George W. Bush. The religious parties conglomerate has given a call for national strike on March 3 on the cartoons issue when Mr. Bush is expected to be in this part of the world.

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