30,000 back Pakistan military

About 30,000 Islamists staged a protest in Lahore yesterday to condemn the United States and show support for Pakistan’s military, which has reasserted itself after a cross-border Nato attack.

The protest was organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa, widely believed to be a front group for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba militant organisation.

Hafiz Saeed, the head of Jammat-ud-Dawa, demanded Pakistan cut off ties with the US, which has provided billions of dollars to Islamabad over the past decade to fight Islamist militants.

The US has apologised for the lethal attack.