ISLAMABAD link – Pakistanisecurity agencies have thwarted an attempted attack on the French embassyin Islamabad link over allegedblasphemy, according to a media report.
An unnamed suspect was taken into custody on Thursday after he resorted toaerial firing in a bid to pass through a security checkpoint in thediplomatic enclave of the federal capital, the UCAnews said in its report.
The suspect told police that he wanted to take revenge for blasphemouscartoons published in France. The relationship between Pakistan and Franceremains strained over cartoons of Prophet Muhammad deemed blasphemous bymany in the deeply conservative Islamic nation.
Last year, protests broke out in several Muslim countries over France’sresponse to a deadly attack on a teacher who showed blasphemous cartoonsmocking the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to pupils during a class. Pakistan andother Muslim-majority countries had accused France’s government of beingIslamophobic and needlessly provoking believers.
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Prime Minister Imran Khan had also said that French President EmmanuelMacron “attacked Islam” by encouraging the display of cartoons depictingthe Prophet Muhammad.
“Sadly, President Macron has chosen to deliberately provoke Muslims, inclhis own citizens, through encouraging the display of blasphemous cartoonstargeting Islam & our Prophet PBUH,” the PM had said on Twitter.
