Indian high commission's car attacked in Pakistan

A car belonging to the Indian high commission in Islamabad was attacked on Tuesday by protestors demonstrating against the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammad in some European newspapers.

Muralidhar Reddy, The Hindu's correspondent in Pakistan, told rediff.com on the phone from Islamabad, that the protestors broke through police barricades in the diplomatic enclave and went on a rampage.

"All members of the Indian mission, including High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon, are safe," Reddy said, adding, "The Indian mission is the first building in the diplomatic enclave, and is located next to the British high commission. We are given to understand that the target of the protestors was the Danish embassy. The Indian car was parked at a five star hotel next to the mission."

"The police resorted to a lathi (baton) charge and then lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. As they were dispersing, the protestors attacked some vehicles. Cars belonging to the French embassy and British high commission were attacked along with the Indian mission's car," Reddy added. "The glass at the back was broken. There was nobody in the car at that time." The incident took place around 1 pm Indian time.

Meanwhile, at least two people were killed and nearly 50 injured when the police fired to control a rampaging crowd that targeted McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC outlets in Lahore, besides government buildings, banks and a five-star hotel. The mob also torched two cinema halls.

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said the two men were killed when a guard at the Metropolitan Bank opened fire at rioting protesters.

'It is a serious development. We are grieved over the loss of precious life,' he told the Geo TV channel.

The protesters, mostly belonging to Islamic parties, also targeted several hotels, including the Holiday Inn, and the office of the Norwegian cell phone company, Telenor in Lahore. Witnesses said the police fired tear gas shells to disperse a mob that tried to storm the Punjab provincial assembly building.

In Islamabad, the protesters tore down portraits of President Pervez Musharraf and visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, besides demonstrating outside the national assembly, the Pakistani parliament. They also burnt effigies of United States President George W Bush and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

With Agency inputs