Khalid Latif places bounty on Dutch lawmaker behind blasphemous cartoon contest

Disgraced Pakistani cricketer, Khalid Latif, has announced a three million rupees award for anyone who would “kill the Dutchmen” behind the blasphemous caricature competition.

In a video message on his Facebook profile, Khalid, who was handed a five-year ban for his role in the spot-fixing scandal of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2017, has announced putting the bounty on the heads of firebrand Dutch politician Geert Wilders and his far-right party colleagues.

The bounty offer is adding to fears in the Netherlands that the competition, which was announced on June 12, will lead to targeted violence, either in Holland or against Western targets in Pakistan.

The announcement has drawn ire of millions of Muslims across the globe and a unanimous resolution was also adopted by the Senate on Monday against the competition. After passing of the resolution, Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his first speech to the upper house of the parliament, had also said that Pakistan would take up the matter in the upcoming UN General Assembly session.

“Very few Europeans understand the hurting of Muslim sentiments over blasphemous content,” he had said, adding that the government would prioritise the issue and take it up with the global Muslim body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The Dutch Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, is known for its opposition to Islam and Muslim immigration to the Netherlands and Europe in general. Wilders has tweeted that he had received clearance from the Dutch counterterrorism agency to hold the competition in the PVV’s parliamentary offices.

Three years ago, the Dutch parliament had turned down Wilders’ plan to hold an exhibition of anti-Islam cartoons inside the legislature’s complex, saying “exhibitions in parliament must focus on the role of parliament and should not offer a platform to party political statements or be controversial.”