Senators protest before Indian HC over blasphemy

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/RAWALPINDI/QUETTA/LAHORE/DHAKA: In line with the decision taken during the Senate session earlier this week, Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani Friday led a protest march of senators, belonging to all parties, to the Indian High Commission here against the BJP leader's blasphemous remarks. The legislators wore black armbands and denounced the blasphemous remarks. Some of them also carried placards, inscribed with slogans demanding strict action against BJP leader Nupur Sharma and that BJP should apologise to the Muslim Ummah over this sacrilegious act.

Speaking on the occasion, the Senate chairman said that all Muslims are ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). “Such sacrilegious remarks are not acceptable and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms."

Sanjrani said that millions of Muslims in the Islamic world are ready to sacrifice their lives and property for the sake of Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Leader of the Opposition in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem and other senators in their speeches strongly condemned the blasphemous statement of the BJP leader. Senate Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the Opposition Dr. Shahzad Waseem, senators Mushtaq Ahmad, Shahadat Awan, Behramand Tangi, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Azam Swati, Fozia Arshad, Seemee Ezdi, Abdul Qadir and others also accompanied the Senate chairman.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that he had useful discussions with President General Assembly Abdulla Shahid concerning the derogatory remarks by BJP officials.

In a statement issued on Twitter, Bilawal Bhutto said that he underscored the important role of United Nations for constructive dialogue and collective efforts to combat hate speech and Islamophobia.

Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a telephone call apprised the President of UN General Assembly (PGA) Abdulla Shahid of the derogatory and offensive remarks made by two senior officials of India's ruling party BJP against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Noting that such wilful and deliberate provocation had deeply hurt the sentiments of billions of Muslims around the world, the foreign minister urged the PGA to take cognisance of this abhorrent development amidst growing hate speech and rising Islamophobia in India.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution to condemn the blasphemous remarks by a ruling Indian BJP parliamentarian and demanded of the government to cut diplomatic and trade ties with India unless it sought an apology.

The joint resolution, tabled by the provincial Minister for higher Education Kamran Bangash, said that respect and love for Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was part of Muslims’ faith and any blasphemy could not be tolerated. It said that blasphemous remarks by BJP leaders were very condemnable.

Meanwhile, protest rallies were staged in Rawalpindi on Friday to condemn the blasphemous statements made by the Indian BJP leaders. Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and others staged separate demonstrations in a bid to register protest against the blasphemous remarks by the proponents of Hindutva ideology. Led by Qazi Abdul Rashid, Maulana Abdul Majid Hazarvi and others, the JUI activists staged a protest at Chur Chowk.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and minority community took out a protest rally in Khuzdar town on Friday against the blasphemous remarks of Indian ruling party BJP leaders.

Maulana Qamar-ud-Din, Maulana Muhammad Ishaq Shahwani, Deputy Ameer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, leader of Hindu community Lal Chandra Prakash and other speakers strongly condemned the BJP leaders’ blasphemous remarks while addressing the participants of the rally.

Meanwhile, Muslims in several parts of Asia held protest rallies against the disrespecting remarks uttered by BJP leaders in India which sparked huge furore across the globe.

In Pakistan, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday afternoon held a number of public gatherings, Namoos-e-Risalat (SAW) march, to record their protest against the insulting remarks made by the BJP spokespersons in India.

Around 5,000 supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan gathered to protest in Lahore calling on the government to take stronger action against India over the comments. "The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) is our red line. Be it India, or anyone else, they should know that defenders of Islam will not remain silent," said school teacher Irfan Rizvi.

A large number of TLP followers took to the streets and staged protests countrywide with special emphasis in Lahore, the TLP Headquarters at Multan Road. According to a statement issued by the TLP media cell, TLP supremo Hafiz Saad Rizvi led the protest in Lahore. The protesters chanted slogans against India.

In Balochistan, TLP workers took to the streets in metropolis Quetta.

In Gujranwala, hundreds of thousands of TLP followers recorded their protest against the derogatory remarks made by the Modi-led BJP government spokesperson in New Delhi. The TLP Karachi Division also held a protest rally.

Similarly, under the auspices of TLP, the Namoos-e-Risalat (SAW) march was taken out from Liaquat Bagh to Faizabad in Rawalpindi in which a large number of people participated.

Meanwhile, Muslims took to the streets in huge protests around Asia after Friday prayers, sparked by remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by an Indian ruling party official that embroiled the country in a diplomatic storm.

Anger has engulfed the Islamic world since last week, when a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party uttered blasphemous remarks on a TV debate show. Around 20 countries have since called in their Indian ambassadors and the party has gone into damage control, suspending the official from its ranks and insisting it respected all religions.

Friday saw the biggest street rallies yet in response to the furore, with police estimating more than 100,000 people mobilised across Bangladesh after midday prayers.

Members of India's 200 million-strong Muslim minority community staged demonstrations in several cities, with a large crowd gathered on the steps of the 17th-century Jamia Masjid mosque in New Delhi. Elsewhere in the Indian capital, social media footage showed students of the prestigious Jamia Millia Islamia university burning an effigy of Nupur Sharma, the Bharatiya Janata Party spokeswoman whose comments set off the furor.

Authorities in Indian held Kashmir cut the restive territory's internet connections, restricted prayer congregations at mosques and imposed a curfew on Friday. A spontaneous shutdown saw businesses close across Srinagar, the region's major city, with protesters calling for retribution against "disrespect" to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

And in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, about 50 protesters staged a rally in front of the Indian embassy in Jakarta. "The Indian government must apologise to Muslims and they must take strict action against the politicians who made the remarks," protest coordinator Ali Hasan said.

Meanwhile, the residents of Rawalpindi have observed the day of protection of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and condemned the blasphemous remarks. Dozens of protest rallies appeared from different areas of Rawalpindi here on Friday.

The Awami Muslim League (AML) Chairman and former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also held a rally against BJP leader Nupur Sharma and strongly condemned her. He addressed the people near Lal Haveli and said that no talk will be allowed on the honour and dignity of the Prophet (PBUH). Being Muslims, we could sacrifice each and everything on the honour of Muhammad (PBUH), he said.

The protesters have demanded from the whole Islamic world to boycott India till the punishment of blasphemy. The marchers carried placards in their hands protesting against India. A heavy contingent of police was present all around to control law and order situation.

Extraordinary security measures were also taken by the police on this occasion and heavy contingents of police were deployed at important places of the city, including Faizabad. A big rally was also staged under the leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami against Narendra Modi and his followers.