![Muslims stage a demonstration, organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Party, against the burning of Holy Quran by an extremist in Stockholm, in Islamabad, Pakistan on July 03, 2023 [Muhammed Semih Uğurlu - Anadolu Agency ]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/AA-20230703-31582072-31582055-MUSLIMS_IN_PAKISTAN_PROTEST_THE_BURNING_OF_QURAN_IN_SWEDEN.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday reiterated his call for nationwide protests against the recent burning of the Quran in Sweden, as the country observes Youm-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran, or Quran Sanctity Day, Anadolu Agency reports.
"When it comes to the [matter of] Quran, the entire nation is united. The entire Muslim ummah is disturbed by the incident in Sweden," Sharif said on Twitter.
Demonstrations and rallies will be held across Pakistan against last week's desecration of the Quran by Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old man of Iraqi origin, in front of a Stockholm mosque.
The act was deliberately timed to coincide with Eid Al-Adha, a significant Islamic religious festival observed by Muslims worldwide.
READ: Russia detains Egyptian citizen who desecrated Quran
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from several countries, including Turkiye, with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation calling for collective measures to prevent such acts.
Pakistan's Parliament, on Thursday, adopted a unanimous resolution urging Sweden to take "appropriate steps" against the perpetrators involved in the desecration.
Sharif also called on the European nation to clarify its stand on Quran burning. "Quran is in our hearts. The Quran is not only a recitation for us but a guideline for living," he added.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said the sacrilegious act was "another example of the rising Islamophobic mindset that seeks to dehumanise and denigrate our faith."
"It is an act of blatant provocation to try to inflame sentiments and undermine Islam as a religion of peace, tolerance and acceptance," he tweeted, adding that Pakistan will raise this issue at the UN Human Rights Council next week.
READ: Burning of the Quran and the counter-offensive: Why the West is panicking
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