LAHORE , July 7, 2023: Pakistan on Friday observed Yaum-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran (Quran Sanctity Day) after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued call for nationwide protest against the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden.
Protesters gathered in cities like Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta to urge the international community to take notice of the desecration of the Holy Quran. They demanded the formation of a strategy to stop such incidents in future. Meanwhile, lawyers also staged a protest outside the Supreme Court.
Punjab
Christians’ community participated in the protest whereas lawyers took to streets in Faisalabad to register their protest.
Jamat-e-Islami’s labor wing staged a “Quran Sanctity Rally” from Eidgah to Chowk Katcheri and condemned the desecration incident. Lawyers in Sargodha incepted the rally from District Bar room.
On the other hand, Pakistan Central Muslim League lead rallies in Bahawalnagar and Lodhran wherein protestors voiced against the Sweden government. The JI also protested outside the press club in Muzaffargarh.
Sindh
Karachi Bar Association boycotted the court proceedings and courts did take up any cases. Meanwhile, students and teachers of the Federal Urdu university also took to streets against the incident.
Members of the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) staged a rally outside Sukkur Press Club and protested in Mirpur Khas as well.
Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Protestors flocked the streets in Chaghi and Nushki districts of Balochistan while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) rallied in KP’s Swabi district.
Azad Kashmir
Protestors marched from Eidgah to Azadi Chowk in Muzaffarbad to register their protest. They also raised slogans against the Swedish government.
Nation is united: PM Shehbaz
“When it comes to the [matter of] Quran, the [entire] nation is united. The entire Muslim ummah is disturbed by the incident in Sweden,” the premier said on th occasion of the Quram Sanctity Day.
The prime minister’s remarks come after a man desecrated the Holy Quran in Sweden’s capital Stockholm last month, resulting in strong condemnation from several Muslim states, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the European Union, Pope Francis and the Swedish government as well, among others.
He further said the nation would unite to protest to “express their feelings and emotions over the disheartening incident”, adding that after the Friday afternoon prayers, “all classes of Pakistani Muslims will raise the flag of the Holy Quran’s honour and record their peaceful protest”.
Taking to Twitter, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the desecration was “another example of the rising Islamophobic mindset that seeks to dehumanise and denigrate our faith”.
“It is an act of blatant provocation to try inflame sentiments and undermine Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance, and acceptance. Pakistan will be raising this issue at the UNHRC urgent debate in Geneva on behalf of the OIC Group on 11 July on the premeditated acts of desecration of Holy Quran,” he further said in the tweet.