Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to work closely with OIC member countries to highlight concerns about the willful acts of the burning and desecration of the Holy Quran.

He was speaking at the 18th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in a virtual format.

The Foreign Minister welcomed the adoption of resolutions in the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly advocating inter-religious dialogue and shunning religious hatred.

He also called for promoting inter-faith harmony and peaceful co-existence.

The Foreign Minister reiterated his proposal for an Action Plan which would inter alia include the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia and the establishment of judicial mechanisms to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has raised the issue of desecration of the Holy Quran with his Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

He raised the issue during a telephonic call made by the Danish Foreign Minister to him.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed deep concern on the recent incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in Denmark and other European countries.

While acknowledging the Danish government’s outreach to the Muslim world and condemnation of these abhorrent acts, he stressed the need for stopping Islamophobic acts that hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world.

The Foreign Minister emphasized the need to promote interfaith harmony and religious tolerance.