Islamists Rally Against Pakistani President

More than 10,000 protesters rallied here Friday to demand that President Pervez Musharraf step down.

The supporters of a coalition of radical Islamic groups chanted, “God is great” and “Pakistan will not be allowed to become a U.S. colony.”

The six-party United Action Forum has accused Musharraf, an army general, of reneging on a promise to become a civilian head of state and leave his military job by the end of 2004.

“No to Musharraf’s uniform” and “Musharraf has to step down” were emblazoned on protesters’ signs. Police put the crowd at more than 10,000.

Musharraf has become a key ally of the United States in the war against terrorism since he seized power in a bloodless coup in October 1999.

Although Musharraf held general elections in 2002 that elected a parliament and a prime minister, he keeps a firm grip on power.

The alliance made unexpected gains in the parliamentary vote mainly on a platform of opposition to Musharraf’s support for the United States. It accuses Musharraf of working for American interests and imposing a dictatorship on Pakistan.

At the rally, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, a leader of the alliance, demanded that Musharraf step down.

“Gen. Musharraf is not accepted to us neither as a president nor as the army chief,” Ahmed said.

Musharraf has so far spurned opposition demands, saying his retaining power will ensure consistency in national policies.