Bombing, Mosque Riot Rock Islamabad

Pakistani police officers stand guard in the radical Red mosque during a visit of Pakistani religious minister, Thursday, July 26, 2007 in Pakistan. Authorities demolished the seminary Jamia Hafsa adjacent to the mosque which was allegedly a safe heaven for militants and taken over by government forces after a fierce fight which left over hundred people dead. The Pakistani capital's Red Mosque, where a siege against Islamic militants ended in bloodshed two weeks ago when troops stormed in, will reopen Friday. (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash) (B.k.bangash - AP)

"Ghazi, your blood will lead to a revolution," the protesters chanted.

Maulana Ashfaq Ahmed, the senior cleric whom the government had asked to lead the prayers, was quickly escorted from the mosque, as protesters waved angry gestures at him.

In a speech at the main entrance of the mosque, Liaqat Baloch, deputy leader of a coalition of hard-line religious parties, the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal, condemned Musharraf as a "killer."

"Maulana Abdul Aziz is still the prayer leader of the mosque. The blood of martyrs will bear fruit. This struggle will reach its destination of an Islamic revolution. Musharraf is a killer of the constitution. He's a killer of male and female students. The entire world will see him hang," Baloch said.

Unrest later broke out on the street outside, as protesters confronted scores of riot police backed by armored personnel carriers. Police were armed, but there was no gunfire or reports of serious injuries.

After the bombing, police retook control of the mosque, said Zafar Iqbal, the city police chief. Some protesters resisted and about 50 people were arrested, he said.

Wahajat Aziz, a government worker who was among the protesters at the Red Mosque, said officials were too hasty in reopening the mosque.

"They brought an imam that people had opposed in the past," he said. "This created tension in the environment. People's emotions have not cooled down yet."