Ceremony in Pakistan honours Charlie Hebdo suspects

A Pakistani cleric has held a ceremony in honour of Said and Cherif Kouachi, the brothers suspected of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, NBC News reports.

"They are heroes of Islam. They laid down their lives but eliminated those published caricatures of our Prophet Muhammad," Allama Pir Mohammad Chishti said after reading funeral prayers.

Attendees bow their heads at the funeral ceremony. Credit: Reuters

The ceremony was arranged by the Ghousia Madrassa, an Islamic school in the city of Peshawar, although it only attracted around 40 people.

The protesters hold another banner attacking Charlie Hebdo. Credit: Reuters

Those who did attend held banners describing the Kouachis as "our brothers" who had "martyred" themselves for Islam.

Another banner included a photo of two gunmen on the Paris streets with the slogan "A strong message was needed. They delivered it" .

A banner with the image of the two gunmen outside the Charlie Hebdo office. Credit: Reuters