ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday raised the issue of blasphemous caricature competition by the Dutch Islamophobe parliamentarian Greet Wilders.
Holding a telephonic conversation with the Dutch foreign minister, Qureshi expressed deepest concern on the announcement of abominable and sacrilegious competition by the leader of Party of Freedom (PVV) Greet Wilders.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that this deliberate effort under the pretext of freedom of expression was of great concern to the Muslims across the world.
“Such acts must be prevented as they spread hate and intolerance in societies,” Qureshi said.
FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi raised the issue of blasphemous event with the Dutch FM. FM underscored that the abominable act of the Dutch Parliamentarian was provoking and hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world. Such acts spread hate and intolerance.
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) August 28, 2018
The Dutch foreign minister conveyed that it was an individual’s act. He said that the Dutch government was neither associated nor supporting the competition.
The two foreign ministers agreed to work together and coordinate in the matter.
Earlier in the day, in his address at the Senate, Qureshi said he was expecting a telephonic call from the Dutch foreign minister in which he would clearly express the sentiments of the nation on the blasphemous cartoon competition being conducted by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders.
The foreign minister said the act of a Dutch politician had hurt the sentiments of not only Pakistani nation but the entire Muslim Ummah. He said no words were sufficient to condemn this detestable act.
Meanwhile, the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (OIC-IPHRC) also today unreservedly condemned the malicious plan of the Dutch parliamentarian to hold an international competition on the caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), and called upon the Dutch government to take immediate steps to prevent this sacrilegious transgression.
