ISLAMABAD: Cities across the nation were set for nationwide protests on Friday against the printing of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) in a French magazine.
The rallies come a day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif led parliament in condemning the reprinting of the cartoons, regarded by many Muslims as offensive, in Charlie Hebdo, whose offices were targeted by attackers last week, leaving 12 people dead.
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Tens of thousands of religious party activists are expected to turn out nationwide, including followers of Jamaatud Dawa, the charitable wing of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group which allegedly masterminded attacks on Mumbai in 2008.
The group has come under the spotlight following the country’s pledge to crack down on all militant groups, including those considered friendly to its interests, in the aftermath of a school massacre last month that left 150 people dead.
The Jamaatul Ahrar faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan meanwhile issued a statement lauding the two brothers who carried out the Charlie Hebdo assault, saying “they freed the earth from the existence of filthy blasphemers”.
“O enemies of Islam beware! Every youth of this Ummah (Muslim community) is willing to sacrifice himself on the honour of (the) Prophet,” said the statement, which was sent via email by spokesperson Ehsanullan Ehsan.
In addition to rallies by religious parties, lawyers in central Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have vowed to boycott court proceedings to display their displeasure over the sketches.
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The magazine this week published a “survivors” issue featuring an image of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), which sold out Wednesday before more copies of an eventual print run of five million hit newsstands in France.
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