Protest planned in Pakistan over desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden

• JI's protest to start from F-6 Markaz, culminate at Swedish Embassy.
• Jafferi requests FO to summon diplomats from Swedish embassy.
• MWM leader says govt maintained silence over desecration of Quran.

ISLAMABAD: Religious and political parties will hold protests in different cities of the country against the abhorrent act of desecrating the Holy Quran in Sweden, which came on the occasion of Eid ul Adha, The News reported.

Jamat-e-Islami (JI) has given a call of protest outside the Swedish embassy in Islamabad today (Monday) to condemn the burning of a copy of the sacred book by a man in the Swiss capital.

Addressing a news conference, JI's Islamabad Amir Nasarullah Randhawa said that the protest march against the heinous act would commence from F-6 Markaz and culminate at Swedish Embassy. He said that a large number of citizens would attend the protest rally starting at 5pm today.

The JI leader demanded that the government record its strong protest at all forums while representing the sentiments of Muslims against the desecration of the Holy Quran.

Randhawa also demanded severing diplomatic ties with Sweden if the country did not take such heinous acts seriously and prevent such events in the future.

Meanwhile, the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) also staged a protest outside Karachi Press Club on Sunday against the sorrowful incident in Sweden that is being widely condemned worldwide.

The party's president, Allama Sadiq Jafferi, requested the Foreign Office to summon the ambassador and other diplomatic staff from the Swedish embassy to lodge a strong protest against the recent incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden which is being widely condemned worldwide.

The MWM president said the Pakistani government, particularly Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, had maintained silence in a "criminal way" after the desecration incident in Sweden.

He called upon the Swedish government to ensure that the criminals behind the recent incident were handed down stern punishment.

Jafferi said the act of the Swedish government to allow the sorrowful incident to happen in its country was unacceptable.

Other speakers who addressed the participants of the protest demanded that the government dismiss the Swedish ambassador from the country after declaring him persona non grata as the latest incident was not the first in Sweden.