Pakistan summons French ambassador over Holy Prophet (PBUH) caricatures
The Foreign Office summoned on Monday morning the French ambassador to Pakistan Marc Baréty over the caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) published in France.
Speaking to SAMAA TV, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Muslims across the world are offended and upset by the caricatures. French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement after that was like adding fuel to the fire, he said.
Last week, Macron made a statement after a French teacher was beheaded near Paris after he had shown cartoons of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) during a class he was leading on free speech. He said the teacher “was killed because Islamists want our future.”
The caricatures were made by French cartoonists Charlie Hebdo.
Prime Minister Imran Khan called him out on Twitter for attacking Islam.
He is spreading extremism, said Qureshi, adding that hatred and violence is rising because of these statements.
He said the premier had already raised this matter before the United Nations. He also wrote a letter to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, asking him to impose a ban on Islamophobia on the platform.
I will also present a motion on this in the OIC, the foreign minister vowed. We will speak about imposing legal restrictions on this kind of behaviour, he said, as well as marking March 15 as Islamophobia day.
He also said that Pakistan would mark a black day on October 27. An event will also be held at the Foreign Office.
Multiple countries have launched campaigns to boycott French products after President Macron’s remarks.
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