Outrage: Lawyers protest against publication of offensive caricatures

Threaten to sever diplomatic ties with countries that publish such material

PESHAWAR: Courts in the city remained deserted for the second consecutive day on Friday as lawyers protested against the publication of offensive cartoons by a satirical magazine in Paris, France.

Condemning the publication, lawyers demanded the government raise the issue with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Lawyers also marched from Peshawar High Court to Central Prison Peshawar to register their protest. They were demonstrating against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which was attacked by gunmen on January 7 for publishing cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims.



The strike call was given by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council. On Friday, the legal fraternity also held a meeting and passed a unanimous resolution demanding that the United Nations impose a complete ban on publications they said are against Islam.

PHCBA President Muhammad Isa Khan, Secretary General Ayaz Khan, senior lawyers Abdul Latif Afridi, Khalid Mehmood and others addressed the meeting and strongly condemned publishing of the cartoons.

The resolution demands that the prime minister convene a meeting of OIC to figure out a permanent solution to such issues. Lawyers also demanded severing diplomatic relations with countries which print the caricatures.

“Publishing cartoons that insult Islam is not considered freedom of expression. Such incidents have happened in the past too, but it is time to completely ban publications that are against Islam,” said PHCBA Secretary General Ayaz.

He added Muslim countries should show unity in this time because Muslims across the world were shocked when they saw the magazine that insulted Islam. “Muslim leaders should immediately withdraw their money from French bank accounts and other countries that publish blasphemous cartoons. The French ambassador should be expelled from Pakistan,” the resolution demanded.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.