Pakistan premier reiterates call for protests as nation observes day to uphold sanctity of Quran

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reiterated his call for nationwide protests against the recent burning of the Quran in Sweden, as the country observes Youm-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran, or Quran Sanctity Day.

“When it comes to the [matter of] Quran, the entire nation is united. The entire Muslim ummah is disturbed by the incident in Sweden,” Sharif said on Twitter.

Demonstrations and rallies will be held across Pakistan against last week's desecration of the Quran by Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old man of Iraqi origin, in front of a Stockholm mosque.

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.

Pakistan’s parliament on Thursday adopted a unanimous resolution urging Sweden to take “appropriate steps” against the perpetrators involved in the desecration.

Sharif also called on the European nation to clarify its stand on Quran burning. “Quran is in our hearts. The Quran is not only a recitation for us but a guideline for living,” he added.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the sacrilegious act was “another example of the rising Islamophobic mindset that seeks to dehumanize and denigrate our faith.”

“It is an act of blatant provocation to try inflame sentiments and undermine Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance, and acceptance,” he tweeted, adding that Pakistan will raise this issue at the UN Human Rights Council next week.