ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has strongly denounced the publication of blasphemous caricatures by French Magazine Charlie Hebdo.

In a video statement on Thursday, the foreign minister said these caricatures have hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims across the world.

“Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to the French government on the despicable act,” said Qureshi and added that those behind the publication of blasphemous caricatures must be taken to task.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan last year had raised the issue of blasphemous caricatures in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. FM Qureshi expressed the confidence that the world will take immediate steps to put a stop to such acts and tendencies.

He said that Pakistan is a democratic country and believes in freedom of expression, but freedom of expression does not give license to anybody to hurt the sentiments of others. The foreign minister noted there has been an increase in Islamophobia and Xenophobia across the world. NNI