July 7, 2023
Protest rallies across Pakistan over Quran burning in Sweden
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Rallies were held across Pakistan on Friday to protest the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden as the nation observed “Youm-i-Taqaddus-i-Quran” (Quran Sanctity Day).
Former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (PTI) Imran Khan had earlier called for rallies on Friday to protest the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden
Many of the protesters were carrying PTI flags.
Earlier, a joint session of Pakistan’s Parliament had passed a resolution urging Sweden to take “appropriate steps” against the perpetrators involved while the government had designated as Yaum-i-Taqaddus-i-Quran to express outrage over the incident.
In the capital Islamabad, lawyers holding copies of the Quran protested in front of the Supreme Court while worshippers outside mosques held rallies, demanding the severing of diplomatic ties with Sweden.
A group of minority Christians in the northwest also held a rally to denounce the burning of the holy book.
In a televised speech to legislators in parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif questioned why the police in Sweden let the burning of the Quran go ahead.
On Friday, Shehbaz Sharif tweeted “When it comes to the Quran, the nation is one. We will all protest nationwide today under the title of Quran Sanctity Day and after Friday prayers.”
The Daily Dawn reported:
Religious organizations and members of civil society staged a demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club. On the occasion, protesters said that the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden had hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world. They also called on the government to summon the Swedish envoy to record Pakistan’s strong protest.
Another rally was also organised in Chagai and Dera Bugti, where protesters carried placards and chanted slogans.
In Lahore, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Ziauddin Ansari addressed a rally and said that the ruling coalition had only passed a resolution in the National Assembly condemning the incident. He called on the government to call a meeting of the OIC and to expel the Swedish envoy from the country. He also told the participants to boycott Swedish products.
Rallies were also taken out in parts of Karachi, including Bolton Market, main M. A. Jinnah Road and Dawood Chowrangi, disrupting traffic in the city. According to AFP, about 3,000 supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) marched for kilometres.
Meanwhile, Swedish flags were burned during a rally at Islamabad’s Sitara Market.
“The Holy Quran is our red line,” chanted hundreds of protesters at the market, who held placards calling for the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador and the severing of diplomatic ties with Stockholm.
Separately, several rallies were held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shangla district. Political parties, including the PTI, PML-N and the JI, staged protests in Bisham, Karora
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The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
