PAK ASSEMBLY VOTES TO RECALL ENVOY FROM FRANCE IT DOESN’T HAVE

In the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on Islam, Pakistan’s National Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution to call back its envoy from Paris. What makes the move interesting is the fact that Pakistan does not have an ambassador in France right now!

Pakistan’s last ambassador to France, Moin-ul Haq, left France three months ago as he was transferred to China. Since then, Pakistan has not sent a replacement for Haq to Paris.

Interestingly, and ironically, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was one of the movers of the resolution in the national assembly. Despite being the head of Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Qureshi seemed unaware of the fact tghat the country didn’t have an envoy in France.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Monday summoned the French ambassador in Islamabad, a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan accused French President Emmanuel Macron of attacking Islam by defending the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

The Pakistan National Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution condemning the publication of blasphemous caricatures in France and the “resurgence of Islamophobic acts” in some countries after a noisy session that witnessed the government and opposition delivering fiery speeches against each other.

The recent incidents are set to deteriorate the relations between Pakistan and France as the former from the last few days had chided the French leader over his remarks in the aftermath of the killing of a teacher in Paris after he had shown cartoons of the Prophet during a class he was leading on free speech.

On Sunday, Pakistan PM Imran Khan had slammed President Macron and said that he has “chosen to deliberately provoke Muslims”. Taking to Twitter, Khan said, “Hallmark of a leader is he unites human beings, as Mandela did, rather than dividing them. This is a time when Pres Macron could have put healing touch and denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarisation and marginalisation that inevitably leads to radicalisation… By attacking Islam, clearly without having any understanding of it, President Macron has attacked and hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims in Europe and across the world.”

WITH AGENCY INPUTS