Pakistan on Thursday welcomed the appointment of Miguel Angel Moratinos, a veteran Spanish diplomat, as the UN Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia amid a rising tide of anti-Muslim hate in several parts of the world. “This appointment is a major milestone in the OIC’s efforts to combat Islamophobia and promote tolerance, respect, and peaceful coexistence,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said in a statement. “Together, we stand against faith-based hatred and discrimination”, the Pakistani envoy said, adding that Moratinos’s appointment under UN General Assembly resolution 78/264 is “timely and essential.” Pakistan, he said, stands ready to support the mandate of the envoy to foster mutual understanding and peace. On behalf of the OIC, Pakistan had piloted the resolution that recognizes the urgent need to counter the growing Islamophobia and develop a global consensus to curb the menace. In this regard, the resolution sought the appointment of a Special Envoy to deal with it.