Pakistanis rallying against Charlie Hebdo clash with police

PAKISTAN, Jan 16, (agencies): Pakistani students are clashing with police during protests against the French satirical magazine that was attacked last week for publishing images of the Prophet Muhammad.
The clashes broke out Friday afternoon when the protesters started heading toward the French consulate in the southern port city of Karachi. The protesters began throwing stones at the police, who tried to push them back with water cannons and tear gas.
The protesters were mostly students affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami political party. Pakistani police have clashed with crowds protesting over an image of the Prophet Muhammad published in French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The authorities used water cannon to disperse the demonstration, near the French consulate in Karachi.
The protest was part of a nationwide rally called by the Jamaat-e-Islami religious party.
Charlie Hebdo featured a cartoon of Muhammad this week, a week after gunmen carried out a massacre at its offices.
Twelve people were killed in the Paris attack, carried out by two French Muslims angry over earlier depictions of Muhammad in the magazine.
On Thursday, Pakistani politicians passed a motion condemning Charlie Hebdo for publishing the latest cartoon.
Religious leaders openly called for journalists at the magazine to be hanged, and several religious groups called for protests after Friday prayers.
In Karachi, at least three people were injured during the clashes between police and about 200 protesters, who were mostly student activists from Jamaat-e-Islami.
The protesters had tried to get inside the French consulate.
Protest leaders said they wanted to hand a written protest to consulate officials, but were stopped by police near the main entrance.