| I've been saying for a week or more that the protests in Pakistan are aimed at bringing down Musharraf |
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the leader of six-party MMA, made the comments after being released from house arrest. In a separate incident 23 people were arrested after two churches were burned down by a mob.
The cartoons, first published in Denmark in September, have angered Muslims across the world. Islamic tradition prohibits any depiction of Allah or the Prophet.
| not so WRT Mohammed, BBC dhimmis (ptui be upon you) |
Qazi Hussain said his group will carry out a series of rallies in the run-up to US President George W Bush's visit to Pakistan next month.
"Our protests will continue. The European countries should realise the sentiments of Muslims. They should apologise to the Muslim world," another senior MMA leader, Liaqat Baluch, is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Qazi Hussain also called for a nationwide strike on Friday and said his campaign was also aimed at President Pervez Musharraf for his "pro-western policies".
| well, it's overt now isn't it |
Troops were called in to assist the police in restoring order after the incident which took place on Sunday.
"We have asked religious leaders to keep people under control and exercise tolerance," Sindh Inspector General of Police Jahangir Mirza told the BBC.
Correspondents say the protests led by Islamist opposition groups in Pakistan against the cartoons have recently broadened into an attack on President Musharraf.
| Took you long enough to figure this out. But then BBC correspondents aren't known for being all that smart on these sorts of things. |