 Pakistan Tuesday formally lodged protest with the Danish government over re-publication of blasphemous cartoons in the Denmark newspapers. The Danish Charge d'Affaires was called to the Foreign Office by Akbar Zeb, Additional Secretary (Europe) to lodge a strong protest over the re-publication of the blasphemous cartoons in Denmark, said a foreign office statement.
| "Since hurting sentiments of other religions was not responsible behaviour, the Danish Government was obliged as a responsible government to stop the publication of the cartoons," said the statement. |
While lodging the protest, it said, the Additional Secretary said that the re-publication of the cartoons had deeply offended Muslim Feeling™ and Sentiment™ all over the world. "While we upheld freedom of the press, freedom of expression should not be taken as a license to insult and malign other religions", it added. In fact, the publication of the cartoons was an abuse and perversion of freedom of expression, which showed disrespect for the beliefs of other people. The Additional Secretary underlined that the publication of the cartoons was counter to the efforts of countries and people who wished to build bridges amongst civilizations. "Since hurting sentiments of other religions was not responsible behaviour, the Danish Government was obliged as a responsible government to stop the publication of the cartoons," said the statement.
The Charge d Affaires said that the Danish Government did not have any hand in the publication of the cartoons and that he would convey the sentiments of the Government of Pakistan to his Government, it added. |