*ISLAMABAD – In an unprecedented move Pakistan government has directlycontacted the Dutch government and raised serious concerns over theblasphemous event.*
*Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday contacted hisdutch counterpart van Buitenlandse Zaken and raised the issue of‘blasphemous event’ in Netherlands.*
“The Foreign Minister underscored that the abominable act of the dutchParliamentarian was provoking and hurt[ing] the sentiments of Muslimsacross the world,” the foreign office spokesperson said. “Such acts spreadhate and intolerance.”
Geert Wilders, a dutch parliamentarian belonging to the Freedom Party, isholding a competition of blasphemous caricatures. Wilders’ Freedom Party isthe leading opposition party in parliament after coming in second in theelections last March.
On August 27, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced that the governmentwould raise this issue at the United Nations.
“However, I believe that it won’t be very effective as the West does notunderstand our love for the Prophet (pbuh),” he said, speaking in theSenate.
They would not back off from holding the competition as they consider it amatter of freedom of speech, the premier added.