The government’s call for only peaceful demonstrations were abundantly defied on the occasion of Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool, with at least 14 people killed in violent protests around the country.
More than 200 people were also wounded in the protests, observed to condemn a US-made film and French cartoons mocking Islam, officials said.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf expressed concern at the violence that erupted across Pakistan and appealed to his countrymen to remain calm and peaceful.
According to a statement released by the media office of the PM House, the premier said that love for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is best expressed by following his teachings of peace and harmony.
“Destroying property and resorting to violence negates the spirit of Islam and teachings of the Prophet (pbuh),” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira urged the media and the religious leaders to encourage others to show restraint from violence during protests.
“Is this a protest to protect the reverence of that Holy Prophet?” he questioned, while talking to a private television channel. The minister decried the media for acting ‘irresponsibly’. “Live coverage of violent protests added fuel to the fire,” he said.
He clarified that Friday’s protest was not against the government rather it was to denounce the international behaviour of hurting religious sentiments of others.
Kaira said President Asif Ali Zardari would take up the issue at the United Nations General Assembly.
K-P govt calls for judicial inquiry into violence
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government hinted at the involvement of “third elements” during Friday’s violent protests in the province and requested a judicial inquiry into the riots.
Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the government had announced a national day so that people could record their protest against the anti-Islamic movie.
However, he added, the protesters turned violent, which hints at the involvement of a third element. He called for a judicial inquiry into the loss of lives and damage to public and private property, during the protests.
MQM chief calls for peace
Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain asked the United Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the world to take notice of the blasphemous film and derogatory cartoons published in a French magazine. “If the global community does not take notice of this and this continues, the world may have to see the third world war,” he said.
Hussain said that if people really love the Prophet (pbuh), they must not cause any damage to life or property and must protest peacefully. He made the remarks in his address to the Muttahida Bainul Muslimeen forum’s protest at the Karachi Press Club.
Imran condemns violence
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said that it also saddened him to see the reaction of some people in Pakistan who, while rightly protesting against the defamatory film, had resorted to violence. The way some people have destroyed public and private property, attacked the police and other law enforcement personnel, will only reinforce the image some people have of people in Pakistan being uncivilised, he added.
UN, West should not test patience of Muslim world: PML-Q
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) urged the UN and the West to pay attention to the protests of the Muslim world and make effective legislation on an international level in this regard. In their statement, PML-Q chief Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Deputy Prime Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi demanded that the culprits be given exemplary punishment for committing blasphemy.
Fazl terms protests ‘successful’
Meanwhile, the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan-Fazl Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed Friday’s protests a “success”.
Talking to the media in Peshawar, he said that the nation had recorded its protest in a befitting manner for which it should be appreciated.
Fazl said that Pakistan had proved itself by protesting in an enthusiastic manner.
However, he condemned the loss of “innocent lives and plunder on the part of anti-social elements who took advantage of our peaceful protests”. (with ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AGENCIES)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2012.
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What else did you expect when you allowed these brute rioters to come on the streets that too under the government patronage by declaring holiday and showing solidarity with these gangs.The government owes an explanation. As far as the media is concerned, they have always added fuel to the fire. Our media has no ethical code & carries no responsibilities what so ever. An example, why they showed live a media driver, in his last moments of struggle with death.The government must exercise control over this media, they are letting us down.