Pakistani President Condemns Quran Burning in Sweden

Pakistani President Arif Alvi strongly denounced on Monday the abhorrent act of the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden,

Alvi affirmed that the act insulted the holy scripture of Islam and hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims under the guise of freedom of expression.

In a statement, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry asserted: "This senseless and provocative Islamophobic act hurts the religious sensitivities of over 1.5 billion Muslims around the world."

Such actions are “not covered under any legitimate expression of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, which carries responsibilities under international human rights law, such as the obligation not to carry out hate speech and incite people to violence.”

In the same vein, Islamabad called on the international community to show a "common resolve" against Islamophobia, xenophobia, intolerance, and incitement to violence on the basis of religion or belief.

It also urged the world to work together and promote inter-faith harmony and peaceful coexistence.

"Pakistan's concerns are being conveyed to the authorities in Sweden. We urge them to be mindful of the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and the Muslims worldwide and take steps to prevent Islamophobic acts," the statement added.