National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi on Friday asked the Muslim countries to devise a unified strategy to handle the online blasphemous material against Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
He expressed these views while addressing the luncheon hosted in the honour of diplomats of Islamic countries in connection with the Pakistan Day by him at the Parliament House on Friday. He said that the Muslim Ummah needed to shun its differences and unite for a common cause of peace and prosperity and utilize potential for uniform growth of entire community.
The deputy speaker said that Islam accorded equally respect to all other religions. However Muslims were subjected to ridicule and hate speeches in the garb of ‘freedom of expression,’ he said. He said that this issue – posed a great challenge to all Muslims – needed to be handled collectively.
Murtaza said that the parliament of Pakistan was determined to play a leading role in preventing the onslaught of hatred against Islam. He said that the engineered propaganda against Islam and its religious symbols necessitated for a unified front. He asked the guest diplomats to highlight this critical issue in their respective countries’ parliament.
The deputy speaker said that Pakistan’s relationship with the Muslim countries formed the corner stone of its foreign policy. He said that Muslim Ummah today stood the cross roads of its history and the confronting unprecedented challenges. He said that March 23 had great significance for the people of Pakistan and 77 years ago on this day the Muslims of Indian subcontinent resolved to create a separate homeland where they could live freely and practice their religion with liberty.
Pakistan was fast emerging as a linchpin in fostering regional connectivity in the form of transcontinental game changing corridor of prosperity, he said. Murtaza said that Pakistan was witnessing a fast-growing economic prosperity under the current political leadership that was implementing business-friendly policies leading to further strengthening of financial triumph.
He apprised the participants regarding work on historic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said that this project would not only bring prosperity to the people of Pakistan but would usher the entire region into a new era of progress and development. The luncheon was attended by the diplomatic community from 26 Muslim countries besides Leader of House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, Minister for Religious Affair Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, MNAs Ejazul Haq, Dr Ibadullah, Malik Muhammad Ibrar, Sahabzada Tariqullah and senior government officials.