Pro-Taliban protesters take to the streets

Demonstrators took to the streets in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and in other key cities on Friday in answer to calls for a nationwide strike to protest against the government's decision to support a US campaign against terrorism in the wake of the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington, USA. Police broke up the largest rally - in the southern industrial city of Karachi - with one civilian reported to have been killed and at least three injured in the clashes, the BBC reported.

Protesters also gathered in front of the main mosque in Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province, chanting anti-American slogans and listening to militant Islamic leaders make speeches in favour of the ruling Taliban movement in Afghanistan and the Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden - accused of involvement in the terrorists attacks on the US. The Taliban on Friday stated that it would not hand over Bin Laden - whom it has given sanctuary in Afghanistan - in the absence of US evidence of his involvement in the 11 September atrocities, increasing the prospects of its facing the wrath of Washington as a "fellow-traveller of terrorism".

Pakistan's main parties have backed President Pervez Musharraf in cooperating with the US in its proposed intervention against Bin Laden, but a number of more radical Muslim clerics have vowed to declare a jihad, or holy war, against any government - including that Pakistan - supporting US military action in Afghanistan. The strikes were considered an important "barometer of public opinion" in Pakistan, with the potential to unleash dangerous militant Islamic forces in the volatile country.