Protesters at a rally in Quetta. (AFP)

Peshawar, Feb. 17 (Reuters): A Pakistani Muslim cleric and his followers offered rewards amounting to over $1 million for anyone who killed Danish cartoonists who drew caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad that have enraged Muslims worldwide.

Maulana Yousef Qureshi, a cleric in the northwestern city of Peshawar, said he personally had offered to pay a bounty of 500,000 rupees ($8,400) during Friday prayers, and two of his congregation put up additional rewards of $1 million and one million rupees plus a car.

Qureshi repeated the offer at rally later in the city to protest against the cartoons. “If the West can place a bounty on Osama bin Laden and Zawahri we can also announce reward for killing the man who has caused this sacrilege of the holy Prophet,” Qureshi said.

The cleric leads the congregation at the Mohabat mosque in the heart of Peshawar. The mosque is located on a street known for goldsmiths’ shops. Earlier this month, a Taliban commander was reported as offering a bounty of 100 kg of gold to anyone who killed a cartoonist who drew the pictures.

The commander, Mullah Dadullah, also offered 5 kg of gold to anyone who killed a Danish, Norwegian or German soldier. Bin Laden and Zawahri both carry $25 million rewards on their heads.