Pakistani Muslims burn French flags at protest

Hundreds of students protested against France's support for the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, in the latest fallout over France's response to the beheading of a teacher.

The students marched on the streets of Lahore, chanted slogans against French President Emmanuel Macron and later burned French flags.

"We condemn the French President's statement and we demand to the Muslim world that they boycott French products," said one of the protesters, Mohammad Shahab, adding that they appealed to the Pakistani government to "cut off foreign relations with France and immediately send back the French ambassador from Pakistan."

Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and beyond have been outraged by Macron's remarks last week in which he refused to condemn the publication or showing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

An 18-year-old of Chechen origin beheaded a teacher who had shown caricatures of Muhammad in class near Paris on October 16.

France considers religious satire to be among the kinds of speech that fall under the freedom of expression, while many Muslims consider any perceived attack on their prophet as a grave offense.

Pakistan's parliament passed a resolution condemning the publication of cartoons of the prophet.