Senate passes resolution against Dutch caricature competition

ISLAMABAD: A resolution was unanimously adopted in the Senate on Monday against caricature competition in Netherlands, which triggered outrage in the Muslim world.

The resolution was tabled by Leader of the House Shibli Faraz.

Read: PM Imran vows to raise sacrilegious caricatures issue in UN

The resolution reads that a caricature competition will be held at the end of the year in Holland and Pakistani government should summon the Dutch envoy to record protest.

It was mentioned in the resolution that the government should raise the issue of blasphemous caricatures in the United Nations Security Council.

In his first address to the Senate, Prime Minister Imran Khan stated the West deliberately hurts sentiments of the Muslim World via such sacrilegious content. “In West, such appalling acts are performed by those who hate Muslims and Islam.”

Regretting absence of a strategy on the issue by Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Khan added Pakistan would leave no stone unturned to bring all Muslim countries on the same page on issue of sacrilegious caricatures.

On August 21, Pakistan had lodged its strong protest with the Government of Netherlands “on the announcement by leader of the Dutch Freedom Party and Parliamentarian Geert Wilders to hold a competition of blasphemous caricatures”.

“The Charge d’Affaires of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was summoned to the Foreign Office today and a strong protest was lodged…. Deep concern was conveyed at this deliberate and malicious attempt to defame Islam, a statement issued by foreign office had said.

The Federal Cabinet, in its meeting held the same day also strongly condemned that abominable and reprehensible plan.

The Ambassador of Pakistan in The Hague had been instructed to forcefully raise the issue with the Dutch government along with Ambassadors of OIC member states.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York and Geneva were also directed to take up the matter with the UN Secretary General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN related bodies and procedures, the statement added.

It said the former Foreign Minister had written to OIC Secretary General also seeking his leadership in this matter, who in turn has written to the Dutch Foreign Minister on behalf of the OIC, protesting against this abominable event.

The matter would also be discussed in the forthcoming meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2018.