India’s real ‘democratic’ face stands exposed, says Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said India has unleashed its brute and oppressive state force to browbeat Indian Muslims into submission.

In a tweet on Monday, he said the whole Narendra Modi plan is to further marginalise Muslims politically, economically and culturally. The PM said the reality of India's so-called democratic face is exposed before the world now.

The PM’s remarks came in the wake of use of force by the Indian authorities against Muslims including their women, who are lodging protest against blasphemous remarks by the BJP leaders.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers in the National Assembly strongly condemned the blasphemous remarks by some members of India's ruling party BJP against Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) on Monday.

An hour-long discussion was held on the issue on the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The lawmakers urged the government to raise the matter on all international forums including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations.

Participating in the discussion, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah termed the derogatory remarks unfortunate and asked the Muslim community across the country to show unity on the issue. He asked the government to approach the OIC and the UN for highlighting the important issue.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) asked the government to sever diplomatic relations with India and expel the Indian envoy from Islamabad as token of strong protest and call back its high commissioner from India.

Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani said all Muslims were ready to sacrifice their lives for sanctity of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor said that Islamic scholars from across the world would be invited to address the annual Rahmatul-lil-Aalamin conference to give a strong message to the world that Muslims could not tolerate any blasphemous acts or remarks against Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). He asked the PM to raise the issue in General Assembly of the United Nations.

Shagufta Jamani, Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Salahuddin Ayubi and Nisar Ahmed Cheema participated in the debate and expressed their concerns, condemning the derogatory remarks in strongest possible words.

Separately, the Sindh Assembly Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the blasphemous remarksby the office-bearers of the Indian ruling party, BJP.

The provincial lawmakers also demanded that the Indian government should take strict action against politicians who had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims around the world. Both the treasury and opposition lawmakers read the resolution in the house. MPAs Sadia Javed of ruling Pakistan People’s Party, Khurrum Sher Zaman of opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Muhammad Hussain Khan of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Nusrat Seher Abbasi of Grand Democratic Alliance, and Syed Abdul Rasheed of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), read the resolution.

The movers of the resolution demanded that a ban should be imposed on the sale of Indian products in Pakistan to force the Indian government for taking action against the BJP politicians, who uttered the blasphemous statements.

The lawmakers also advised people to boycott Indian media content including films, dramas and music to show their resentment against the remarks by the BJP members. The MPAs also asked the federal government to suspend diplomatic ties with India by ordering the closure of its diplomatic missions in the country and expelling the Indian diplomats.

They demanded that the OIC should play its role to urge the United Nations to adopt international laws against the commission of such blasphemous acts or remarks to protect the sanctity of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

They said that Muslims around the world would continue to agitate against the use of derogatory language until the Indian government take due lawful action against the guilty office-bearers of the ruling party.

Syed Abdul Rasheed of MMA urged the Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to take up the issue of blasphemous remarks with the OIC and UN to adopt global conventions that would be binding upon all the countries to prevent blasphemy.

Winding up the debate, Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that all the legislators in the house, while putting aside their mutual political differences, were fully united against the issue of derogatory remarks.

The house also passed the Sindh Public Service Commission Bill-2022 to revive the provincial service commission in view of the court’s orders. APP adds: In another development, a spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, said during his regular briefing on Monday that India should justly resolve the situation emerging after the BJP leaders’ blasphemous remarks, which stirred strong reaction among Indian Muslims and Islamic countries.

Commenting on BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's sacrilegious remarks, Wang Wenbin said: “We have noted relevant reports and hope that the relevant situation can be properly resolved.”

He said that China had always maintained that different civilizations and different religions should respect each other and live on an equal footing. “We should abandon arrogance and prejudice, deepen our understanding of the differences between our own civilisation and other civilisations, and promote exchanges, dialogue and harmonious coexistence among different civilisations,” he added.

The Muslims countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Indonesia, Iraq, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Jordan, Libya and Bahrain have condemned the remarks.

However, paying no heed to the voices against the blasphemous statements, Indian authorities have imposed restrictions in several areas of Assam state to prevent protests against the ruling BJP leaders.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the authorities stopped and restricted protests in Muslim dominated Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi districts of the state. The prohibitory orders have been promulgated after the protests erupted against blasphemous remarks by BJP leaders in many places of India. “There is an ample apprehension of breach of public peace and tranquillity, loss of human life and property due to public gathering on the issue in the district,” separate orders of the Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakhandhi district administrations added.

Meanwhile, police used brute force and arrested over two dozen Muslim leaders, including women who held a protest march against blasphemer BJP leaders. The police made the arrests when the Muslims gathered in the Juhapura area in Ahmadabad to organize an anti-blasphemy march. Heavy police deployment has been made in the area, said a police officer.

Surat police of the state have also arrested five persons for printing and circulating posters of Nupur Sharma. These posters were posted in Kadarshani Nal Road area in Surat city, they had even circulated video of posters on social media.