Blasphemous cartoon contest called off due Pakistan hectic diplomatic efforts
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ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday said that due to the effective diplomatic efforts of Pakistan government, the blasphemous cartoon contest issue has been resolved.
Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders said he has canceled a planned contest following threats and concerns other people could be put at risk.
The planned contest sparked angry protests in Pakistan as physical depictions of the prophet are forbidden in Islam and deeply offensive to Muslims.
By the grace of Allah Almighty, the blasphemous cartoon contest issue has been resolved due to effective diplomatic efforts of the Federal Government. We must all work together to deny extremists on all sides the space and opportunity to spread hatred, the foreign minister tweeted.
Earlier, the federal ministers met the leadership of Tehreek-e-Labaik and apprised them of the development.
Flanked by the Minister of State for Interior, Qureshi addressed a press conference along with the TLP leader Pir Afzal Qadri late Thursday night.
The TLP leadership later announced end of the long March, of thousands of people that had entered Rawalpindi late Thursday night, from Lahore.
Qureshi said the new government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf immediately after coming into power raised the issue internationally at all foras. He said the Parliament unanimously passed a resolution condemning the plans to hold the blasphemous caricature contest. He said the minority members were at the forefront in condemning this heinous act.
He said he discussed the matter with his counterparts from important Capitals and it was agreed to use the platform of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation OIC to present a unanimous stance and seek an end to repeat of such sacrilegious acts.
The Foreign Minister also recalled his phone call to the Dutch Foreign Minister and said he was informed that an act of an individual should not be allowed to hurt the sentiments of billions of Muslims across the globe.
However he attributed the success to the blessings of Allah and said the cancellation has averted a major crisis. He said the Pakistani government fully endorses the sentiments of every Muslim, the religious scholars and Ulema.
Earlier Prime Minister Imran Khan in a video message assured that his government would use the OIC platform to raise the issue at the United Nations and seek a permanent solution to such acts that hurt the sentiments of the Muslims. - APP
