Daily Times

Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed to raise the issue of ending diplomatic relations with France over blasphemous caricatures matter in Federal Cabinet meeting.

While conducting hearing on a plea filed by a citizen, IHC judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani said that approval of resolutions in National Assembly and Senate represents nation’s viewpoint. The Senate and National Assembly of Pakistan had passed unanimous resolutions, condemning blasphemous caricatures as well as French president Emmanuel Macron’s hateful comments against Islam.

The resolution also condemned discrimination against the hijab by France and called to put an end to rising Islamophobia around the world, particularly Europe. The House also called on the OIC countries to convene an urgent meeting on the matter.

During the National Assembly session, Federal Foreign Minister Shah Muhammad Qureshi presented a resolution against blasphemous sketches propagated in France. The resolution said that Islamophobia is on the rise in Europe and the publication of blasphemous caricatures with impunity is a clear example of it.

Separate resolutions had been tabled by the opposition and the government in the National Assembly on the issue.

In the Senate, the House unanimously passed a resolution condemning blasphemous caricatures in France.

The historic resolution was presented by the Leader of the House Dr. Shahzad Waseem. The text of the resolution stated that when such measures are government-sponsored, divisions are created between different religions.

It further stated that our love for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is part of our faith. No Muslim will tolerate disrespecting of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

French teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded earlier this month by Abdullakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old Chechen who was born in Moscow but later moved to France with his parents.

Paty had shown his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), which had previously been published in the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.

In the aftermath of Paty’s murder, Macron issued a defence of free speech and France secular values, vowing that the country “will not give up cartoons”.

But the French leader s stance has sparked a backlash in Muslim-majority countries, with people burning pictures of Macron and setting fire to French flags.