Imran Khan warns 'western govts' against insulting Prophet amid TLP's anti-france protest

Hitting out at 'Western countries', Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Saturday, clarified that his government had cracked down against Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for its street violence. He told 'Western govts' to penalise those deliberately spreading their message of hate against Muslims by abusing Prophet Muhammed. Pakistan is currently witnessing massive anti-French protests by TLP seeking the ouster of French Ambassador to Pakistan & cutting off ties with France over 'insult to Prophet Muhammed'.

Imran Khan warns 'Western govts'

Anti-France protests in Pakistan

The TLP is protesting against the arrest of their leader Saad Hussain Rizvi, who was taken into custody earlier this week. The TLP opposes the 'blasphemous' caricatures of the Prophet published in France by Charlie Hebdo and French President Emmanuel Macron standing by the act. They have demanded that the Ambassador of France should be sent home and import of goods from that country banned, as reported by Dawn. According to media reports, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had signed an agreement with the TLP in November 2020, agreeing to expel the French Ambassador. The TLP had launched a massive protest in November last year against the cartoons but dispersed after the agreement with the government to expel the Ambassador by February and the deal was extended until April 20.

With the deadline nearing, TLP took to the streets blocking roads, beating up cops, forcing Pakistan Army officials to chant TLP slogans. On the recommendation of the Punjab (Pakistan) govt, the Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed banned the TLP under Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. This act renewed the violent protests which led to Pakistan Army's crackdown and govt's blanket ban on social media platforms including WhatsApp and Twitter amid mounting protests. TLP has been demanding action against France since a French middle-school Samuel Paty was beheaded by a Chechen Muslim terrorist for showing his students the Charlie Hebdo cartoon on the Prophet.

With Macron standing by Charlie Hebdo's 'freedom of expression', Imran Khan had condemned the cartoon calling it an insult to Islam. He had urged western govts to holocaust-like standards to crackdown on those who deliberately indulge in such abuse & hate under the guise of freedom of speech. Pakistan govt is already under severe pressure from the terror watchdog FATF which will meet in France in June 2021 and hence cannot anger the Macron govt, while appeasing its domestic partner - TLP - Pakistan's fourth-largest party in Parliament.