Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday denounced French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo’s decision to republish largely controversial sketches of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
In a video message shared, the foreign minister said that the blasphemous caricatures hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims across the world.
He added that the act was carried out without any reason and no amount of condemnation was enough. “We are seeing a rise in Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia across the world and Pakistan has highlighted this at all forums.”
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had also highlighted the issue during his speech at United Nations General Assembly in New York last year.
“Pakistan is a democratic country and a democracy believes in freedom of expression. But freedom of expression does not give you the licence to harm the sentiments of others.”
He added that Pakistan had conveyed its concerns to the French government.
On Tuesday, Charlie Hebdo, the target of a massacre by gunmen in 2015, said it was republishing hugely controversial sketches of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to mark this week’s start of the trial of alleged accomplices to the attack.
