Violent protests in major cities in Pakistan have left at least 17 people dead as thousands take to streets against an anti-Islam video made in the United States.
The government had declared Friday a public holiday in honour of the Prophet Mohammed and urged people to demonstrate peacefully.
Twelve people including a policeman were killed in the port city of Karachi where arsonists and looters attacked cinemas, banks, shops and restaurants, and a further five died in the north-western city of Peshawar.
In Rawalpindi, the headquarters of Pakistan's powerful military, demonstrators pelted cars and police with stones and burned down a booth at a toll plaza and a police checkpoint, AFP reported.
In Islamabad gunshots were fired outside the five-star Serena Hotel and police baton-charged some 8000 protesters trying to penetrate the heavily guarded diplomatic enclave.
Protests and marches also took place in Iraq, Lebanon, Bangladesh and Malaysia.
The violent backlash over the film has spread to 20 countries and left more than 30 people dead. Anti-US sentiment grew after a trailer for the film dubbed into Arabic was released on YouTube earlier this month.
France, where a magazine this week published a series of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed, has shut embassies and schools in 20 Muslim countries, fearing the backlash will spread from US targets.
