Massive anti-US rallies held in Pakistan

Thousands of people have held anti-US demonstrations across Pakistan to protest an American court’s verdict against a female Pakistani scientist.

The protests on Friday come after a New York court sentenced 38-year-old Aafia Siddiqui to 86 years in prison. Hundreds of police officers were deployed across the capital Islamabad to stop angry protesters from marching into the US Embassy.

In Siddiqui’s hometown of Karachi, police fired tear gas to prevent protesters from moving towards the US consulate.

In Multan, scores of activists including lawyers blocked traffic.

Siddiqui has been found guilty of allegedly trying to kill FBI agents and US military service members in Afghanistan.

Human rights groups argue that she was kidnapped and held in secret US prisons abroad.

Political activists and Siddiqui’s relatives have strongly criticized the US justice system for its handling of the case.

The Islamabad government says it will petition Washington to secure the repatriation of the mother of three on humanitarian grounds.