Hundreds of opposition supporters protested across Pakistan on Saturday, denouncing President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's decision to retain the powerful post of army chief. Holding black flags, about 1,500 protesters marched on a main city road in the southern city of Karachi, while nearly 600 people gathered in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Hundreds also marched in the cities of Multan and Lahore, with smaller rallies in the capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere. But the demonstrations did not attract the thousands of protesters that organizers had hoped for, and none of the country's top opposition leaders attended.Liaquat Baloch, a provincial leader of a six-party opposition coalition called Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal or United Action Forum, said the rallies were successful nonetheless in marking a "black day." The rallies came two days after Musharraf went on national television to explain why he was keeping the army chief post, saying it would be "extremely dangerous" for Pakistan to change track as it fights terrorism. The opposition rejected his claim, saying the army general had not honored his promise to become a civilian president after Dec. 31, 2004.