The Parliament of Pakistan on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution tabled against blasphemous caricatures published in recently attacked French weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Federal Minister for Pakistan Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique tabled the resolution in the National Assembly condemning the blasphemous cartoons published by the French magazine. The resolution called upon the international community, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU), to take action against publishing such material.
The Lower House maintained that such moves by Charlie Hebdo are against freedom of expression saying, "Ridiculous religious material is condemnable". The resolution reads, "These cartoons are a conspiracy to create misunderstanding among civilizations." Dozens of lawmakers also marched outside the Parliament in the federal capital Islamabad, chanting slogans against the French magazine.
Earlier last week, gunmen attacked the magazineآ’s office in Paris, killing twelve people including four prominent cartoonists and editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdo. In its latest edition after the attack, the magazine published a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on its cover.