People hold signs as they chant slogans during a protest against satirical French weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which featured a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad as the cover of its first edition since an attack by Islamist gunmen, in Lahore. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters
After Pakistani Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the "blasphemous caricatures" published in French weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, dozens marched against the publication in Lahore.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also condemned the French magazine by issuing a statement from Riyadh that cautioned the publication against using Freedom of speech to hurt religious sentiments of communities and urged the international community to discourage the publication of such "provocative material," reported the Dawn.
The resolution was tabled and read by Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique in the National Assembly.
A consensus resolution has been adopted by the parliament condemning the publication of the sketches, Pakistan's State Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf told the media outside Pakistan's parliament in Islamabad. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters
It urged the international community, including Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the European Union, to act against the publication of such material.
The resolution claimed that such cartoons were a conspiracy to create "misunderstanding among civilizations."
The assembly unanimously agreed that the cartoons published by Charlie Hebdo were against the Freedom of Expression and added that "ridiculous religious material is condemnable."
Lawmakers, led by Rafique, also marched outside the Parliament and raised the slogan, "In the service of Prophet Muhammad, we are willing to die." Dozens of parliamentarians, including women, participated in the march.
