Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Danish envoy in Islamabad to lodge a "strong protest" over the republication of blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Danish newspapers last week.
At least 17 Danish newspapers published the controversial drawing, vowing to defend freedom of expression a day after Danish police said they had foiled a plot to murder the cartoonist.
"The Danish charge d'affaires was called to the foreign office today... to lodge a strong protest over the republication of the blasphemous cartoons in Denmark," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The Danish envoy was told by a senior Pakistani foreign ministry official that the republication of the sacrilegious cartoons had "deeply offended Muslim feeling and sentiment" all over the world, it said.
"Since hurting sentiments of other religions was not responsible behaviour, the Danish government was obliged as a responsible government to stop the publication of the sacrilegious cartoons," it quoted the official as telling the Danish envoy.
The ministry said that the Danish diplomat explained that his government did not have any hand in the publication of the blasphemous cartoons and that he would convey the sentiments of the government of Pakistan to his government.