Karachi, July 17 (PTI): Hundreds of women and children here today protested against the recent military crackdown on the pro-Taliban Lal Masjid in the Pakistan capital with leaders of an Islamic alliance asking President Pervez Musharraf to step down immediately.

The rally attended by some 1500 women and children was organised by the hardline alliance Muttahida Majlis-e Amal (MMA), whose leaders called for Musharraf to quit immediately.

Small children carried banners stating: "Shame on moderate extremists" and "Shame on enlightened militants."

Ghafoor Ahmed, a central leader of the MMA, told the rally that they were ready to sacrifice their lives but not before the people allegedly working on a US agenda.

"It is shameful that while Musharraf visited the injured military men in the hospitals he didn't go and see the wounded students of the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa (madrassa)," Ghafoor claimed.

He also alleged that Musharraf was using the Army to fulfil a American agenda.

The MMA and other religious parties have held regular protest rallies and demonstrations against the government operation and tribal leaders have vowed to carry out suicide bomb attacks to avenge the death of innocent students.

Some 70 policemen, citizens and security personnel have been killed in suicide bombings and explosions in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province since the Lal Masjid operation ended with two more soldiers being killed today in another attack in the tribal belt by militants.