In a recent development, the Parliament held a joint session on Thursday, passing a resolution that urges Sweden to take appropriate action against the individuals involved in the recent desecration of the Holy Quran in Stockholm. The incident occurred last week when an individual, who had sought refuge in Sweden after leaving Iraq several years ago, tore and burned a copy of the Holy Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque on the first day of Eidul Azha.

Numerous countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, and the European Union, have strongly criticized this act. During the joint session convened to protest against the incident, lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution that vehemently condemns the act. The resolution, presented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi, emphasizes the importance of respecting all religions, beliefs, and holy books.

The resolution calls upon Swedish authorities to take appropriate measures against the perpetrator(s), including legal action, and to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future. It also highlights the need to address Islamophobia with the same seriousness as hate against other religions. The resolution further suggests that international organizations and states should enact legislation to criminalize the desecration of holy symbols of religions, including holy books, personalities, places of worship, and followers.

The resolution acknowledges the steps taken by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which held an emergency meeting in Jeddah to condemn the incident and formulate recommendations for countering Islamophobia. It urges the international community to take necessary measures to promote interfaith harmony and prevent any actions that may hurt religious sentiments in the future.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his speech at the session, called for the formation of a committee to condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran and propose measures to prevent such incidents. He expressed the global Muslim community's anger over the incident and emphasized the Quran's teachings of love, respect, and patience towards the entire world. The Prime Minister denounced the incident as a conspiracy to create divisions between Christians and Muslims, urging strong condemnation.

He demanded that Sweden clarify its position on the incident and emphasized that while freedom of speech is important, it does not grant the right to disrespect or propagate against any religion, particularly Muslims. The Prime Minister also praised former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden for her support and protection of Muslims, expressing gratitude on behalf of Pakistan.

To further address the issue, he intends to reach out to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to convene a meeting of Muslim leaders. Additionally, he called upon people from all walks of life, as well as political and religious parties, to demonstrate on Friday and protest against the incident, sending a strong message to the world. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to punish the individual responsible through legal and political discussions, ensuring exemplary consequences for the act of disrespecting the Holy Quran.