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Hurtful and despicable: Pak PM condemns burning of Quran in Sweden

Sharif says the garb of the freedom of expression cannot be used to hurt the religious emotions of 1.5 billion Muslims across the world

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday criticised the alleged burning of the Holy Quran during a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Pakistan-based news organisation, The News International, reported adding that he termed the incident extremely hurtful and despicable.

According to news report, Turkey and Saudi Arabia joined several other Muslim countries to condemn the incident.

The report quoted the Pakistan PM's tweet: "No words are enough to adequately condemn the abhorrable act of desecration of the Holy Quran by a right-wing extremist in Sweden. The garb of the freedom of expression cannot be used to hurt the religious emotions of 1.5 billion Muslims across the world. This is unacceptable".

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, too, issued a statement on the incident, saying the sentiments of 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe have been hurt, the report said, adding that Turkey and several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan and Kuwait, too, denounced the alleged desecration of the Quran.

Turkey called the protest in Sweden a 'vile act'. It released a statement saying that the Swedish government's decision to allow the protest to go ahead was 'completely unacceptable'.

It further said: "Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of 'freedom of expression' is completely unacceptable."

The Pakistan foreign ministry, meanwhile, called upon the international community to show a common resolve against "Islamophobia, xenophobia, intolerance, and incitement to violence on the basis of religion or belief, and work together for promoting inter-faith harmony and peaceful coexistence".

In its statement, Pakistan's Foreign office further said "this senseless and provocative Islamophobic act hurts the religious sensitivities of billions of Muslims around the world".