The United States has again condemned last week's $100,000 bounty offered by a Pakistani federal minister for the murder of the maker of an anti-Islam film.
U.S. acting Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Hoagland told reporters Thursday in Islamabad that it was irresponsible of Pakistani Railway Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour to offer the reward.
Bilour announced the bounty on Saturday, as more than 1,000 people rallied in Islamabad calling for the filmmaker to be punished. Bilour also urged the Taliban and al-Qaida to help locate and kill the filmmaker.
The low-budget video titled "Innocence of Muslims" was posted online earlier this month and produced in the U.S. state of California. The video, which denigrates the Prophet Muhammad, has sparked anti-U.S. protests, that have sometimes turned deadly, across the Muslim world.
The latest demonstration occurred Thursday in India with thousands of Muslims taking to the streets of the eastern Indian city of Kolkata and marching to the American Center.
According to local media, the rally turned violent after some protesters broke through police lines and tried to enter the center. Police wielding batons reportedly turned them back.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.