Pakistan calls for nationwide protests against Quran burning in Sweden

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for countrywide demonstrations on Friday against the recent desecration of the Quran in Sweden.

A 37-year-old man of Iraqi origin, Salwan Momika, under police protection, burned a copy of the Muslim holy book in front of a Stockholm mosque last Wednesday.

The act was deliberately timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, a significant Islamic religious festival observed by Muslims worldwide.

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from several countries, including Türkiye, with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation calling for collective measures to prevent such acts.

According to a statement, Prime Minister Sharif presided over a meeting during which the Sweden incident was discussed among other matters.

The session decided to observe Friday as the day to uphold the holy Quran’s sanctity, hold countrywide protests and rallies, and also summon a joint session of parliament on Thursday to devise a national plan of action on the incident.

He appealed to the entire nation, including all political parties, to participate in the protests to “give a message to the miscreants.”