Thousands of Pakistanis have rallied — and briefly scuffled with police — in their nation's capital over recent remarks by two officials from India's ruling party that were derogatory to the Prophet Muhammad.
They also urged Muslim countries to cut diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
The scuffles between demonstrators from the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Party supporters and police erupted when the protesters tried to march toward the Indian Embassy in Islamabad but were stopped by police.
No one was reported hurt in the melee.
Anger has been growing in Pakistan and other Muslim-majority nations since last week, when two spokespeople for India's Bharatiya Janata Party made comments seen as insulting Islam's prophet and his wife, Aisha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has suspended one official and expelled the other, while saying it denounces insults of religious figures.
The suspension came after the comments prompted complaints from several Muslim countries, including Iran, Qatar and Kuwait.
In Pakistan, Sirajul Haq — the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party — denounced India at the rally on Thursday, local time.
He also asked Islamic countries to boycott Indian products and recall their envoys to show New Delhi that Muslims will never tolerate insults to Islam and its prophet.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations.
Since they gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947, the nuclear-armed nations have fought two of their three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety.
AP/ABC
