Thousands of Muslims in Pakistan and Afghanistan staged protests against France on Sunday, denouncing the French weekly Charlie Hebdo for publishing controversial images of the Prophet Muhammad.

In the Pakistani city of Karachi, some protesters burned a photograph and an effigy of French President Francois Hollande.

Others marched towards toward the French Consulate, demanding punishment for those who published the caricatures of their Prophet.

Protesters chanted slogans and held banners reading "We are ready to give our lives for the respect of the Prophet Muhammad".

A similar protest was held in Lahore, where angry demonstrators chanted slogans against Charlie Hebdo.

The protest was organised by Jamaat-Ud-Dawa, a controversial Islamic group in Pakistan.

The United Nations considers Jamaat-Ud-Dawa to be a front group for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant organisation blamed in the Mumbai attacks of 2008, a charge which the group denies.

Protesters chanted slogans demanding the death of those who committed blasphemy against the Prophet.

In Afghanistan, angry Muslim students condemned the French weekly for publishing the cartoons and called for the French Embassy in Kabul to be shut down.

Muslims believe their faith forbids depictions of the Prophet in any way.

AP TELEVISION

Karachi, Pakistan - 18 January 2015

1. Various of protesters burning photo of French President Francois Hollande and effigy during protest near French Consulate

2. Close up of burning photo and effigy

3. Protesters chanting slogans against Hollande next to burning effigy and photo

4. Close up of placard reading (English) "I protest against disrespect of Our beloved Prophet Muhammad"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hafeez Uddin, General Secretary of PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party) Sindh:

"We strongly condemn those media persons and the government of France (and demand) to take action against them and we will agitate again and again and we hope government of France will take appropriate action against the culprits."

6. Wide of Jamaat-e-Islami party rally with supporters holding banner reading (Urdu) "We are ready to give our lives for the respect of the Prophet Muhammad" and chanting slogans demanding the stop of blasphemous acts

7. Protesters chanting slogans demanding death for blasphemers

8. Protesters holding banner reading (English) "We love Muhammad (PBUH - peace be upon him)."

9. Protesters marching on street and chanting slogans

Lahore, Pakistan - 18 January 2015

10. Various of Jamaat-ud-Dawa protesters raising hands and shouting, UPSOUND (Urdu) "We will die or kill to protect the sanctity of Prophethood."

11. Close up of placard reading (English) "Punish the Wretches of Charlie Hebdo"

12. Protesters raising hands and holding placard reading (English) "Ban Charlie Hebdo"

13. Close of protester shouting, UPSOUND (Urdu) "Those who commit blasphemy against Prophet are bound to death."

14. protesters raising hands and shouting, UPSOUND (Urdu): "We will kill the blasphemers"

15. Close of protesters raising hands

16. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, Head of Jamaat-Ud-Dawa:

"Thousands of people gathered over there (in France), and all said that 'this is not the work of a few cartoonists, we are all Charlie, we are all responsible of this'. They accepted responsibility. Therefore, by the Grace of Allah, we will first boycott the French goods and later on our movement will boycott other countries' goods, and you my brothers have to participate and support this."

17. Leaders on stage with banner in background reading (English/French) "This is not freedom of expression, it is open aggression against Islam."

Kabul, Afghanistan - 18 January 2015

17. Various of students chanting anti-France slogans and holding banners

18. Close of protester holding poster reading (Pashto) "Muhammad"

19. Protester chanting (Pashto) "Long live Islam, Death to France"

20. Reverse shot of protesters

21. SOUNDBITE (Pashto) Naqibullah Khan, Protester:

"We, the students of the Islamic University of Nangarhar, strongly condemn the insult against our great Prophet. We, the students of the Islamic University of Nangarhar, want the French Embassy to be closed and the ambassador to be out of the country as soon as possible."

22. Wide of protesters chanting anti-France slogan, (Pashto) "Death to France"

Tens of thousands of Tunisians attended a march in their country's capital, Tunis, on Sunday to denounce extremist violence following the attack on the National Bardo Museum.

Waving Tunisian flags and carrying banners reading "Together against terrorism", the demonstrators marched through central Tunis, by the site of the deadly March 18 shooting that claimed twenty-two lives of mainly foreign tourists, as well as two gunmen.

French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and several foreign ministers and legislators from other countries are joining an anti-terrorism ceremony in Tunis after the march.

The Tunisian government called on all major political parties to join the march from the seat of government at Bab Es-Saadoun to the museum.

Speaking on Sunday morning before heading to Tunisia, Hollande said it was important to show solidarity with Tunisia, which became the latest victim of extremist violence and was the country that led the Arab Spring revolt across the region.

As a result of the 2011 revolution, Tunisia built a democratic system, which was deeply shaken by the museum attack, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

AP TELEVISION

Tunis, Tunisia - 29 March 2015

1. Various of demonstrators holding Tunisian flags and red banners marching to denounce extremist violence following Bardo museum attack

2. Demonstrators chanting

3. Demonstrators holding banner reading (English) "Not afraid"

4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed El Aouni, psychologist, local resident:

"The terrorist who sees that (the march) will think a lot. It (terrorism) will not stop and it did not stop even in the big countries. But it will be different in every country."

5. Demonstrators holding flags and banner reading (English) "Together against terrorism"

6. Police monitoring march

7. People waving Tunisian flags

8. Demonstrators holding banner reading (French) "We are Bardo"

9. Demonstrators at march

10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nizar Deli, nurse, local resident:

"We come here today to try to cure an injury of our country and to stay united after terrorism. And us, as health workers, we help, we cope and help the injured of this country. They call us the angels of mercy and I hope that it is true. "

11. Girls singing national anthem

12. Man chanting slogans denouncing extremist violence

13. Demonstrators during march

14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Douja Oueslati, clerk, local resident:

"We are against violence, we are all Bardo and we are all Charlie. Tunisia is accustomed to freedom and democracy. No to terrorism. Down with terrorism."

15. Demonstrators marching

POOL

Tulle, France - 29 March 2015

16. SOUNDBITE (French) Francois Hollande, French President:

"Of course it's (Tunis march) important. It's important because it's a demonstration of solidarity and we had four French people killed there (in Tunisia), victims of terrorism. So it was necessary to participate in the march. The Tunisians wanted France to be present and France wanted to stand side-by-side with the Tunisians, who let's not forget, began the Arab Spring and were victims with many other citizens from different countries of a heinous terrorist act. There will be several heads of state and government present in Tunis. I will be going in a few hours and we will march. Let us not forget what happened on 11 January (Charlie Hebdo attacks), a demonstration of solidarity for France and the values it represents, well today it is for Tunisia and also the values they represent in the Arab world and beyond."

AP TELEVISION

Tunis, Tunisia - 29 March 2015

17. Various of increased security presence in central Tunis, outside parliament buildings

18. Helicopter flying overhead