French Foreign Ministry shows disapproval over President Alvi’s remarks

Islamabad, 23rd February: Pakistani official has been summoned by the French Foreign Ministry after President Alvi’s criticism on discriminatory new laws.

Baaghi TV: According to reports, the French foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned a member of Pakistan’s diplomatic staff after President Arif Alvi expressed disappointment over a bill passed by France’s parliament that was against Muslims.

The President had said, “When you see that laws are being changed in favour of a majority to isolate a minority, that is a dangerous precedent.”

While addressing an international conference on religious freedom and minorities rights on Saturday, President Alvi had said, “I urge the political leadership of France not to entrench these attitudes into laws… You have to bring people together — not to stamp a religion in a certain manner and create disharmony among the people or create bias.”

As per reports, late on Monday, the French foreign ministry called in Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to mark ‘our surprise and our disapproval over President Alvi’s remarks’.

The ministry claimed that the bill contains no discriminatory element.

The ministry said, “It is guided by the basic principles of freedom of religion and conscience, makes no distinction between the different religions and applies therefore equally to all faiths. Pakistan must understand this and adopt a constructive attitude for our bilateral relations.”

It is pertinent to mention here that during the conference, President Alvi had said the French legislation is not in line with the United Nations Charter and contradicts the spirit of social harmony that Europe previously inculcated in its society.

He said, “Let there not be a retrogressive step for situations which arise out of animosity and for situations which are carried forward by the people who do not know about the real Islam.”

The president further said, “When Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) name is taken in vain in the name of freedom of expression and religion, it hurts the sentiments of Muslims around the world and is considered an insult to the highly revered personality.”

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