Hundreds of supporters from Pakistani Islamist parties on Friday rallied to protest against what they say were blasphemous remarks by the country's chief justice.
The protest call, by various religious and political groups led by hardline Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), whose rallying cry is "death to blasphemers", said that remarks by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa in a case against a member of the minority Ahmadi community were blasphemous.
The court had granted bail to an Ahmadi community member earlier this week, ruling that blasphemy charges against him did not stand. The man, accused of blasphemy for distributing Islamic literature, had been in jail for 13 months.
"We (will) monitor the sermons and protests outside mosques," said police official Abrar Hussain in the southern city of Karachi, warning the protesters to remain peaceful.