ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), H.E. Hissein Ibrahim Taha on Friday and discussed desecration of Holy Quran.

Prime Minister conveyed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of willful and provocative incidents of public burning of the Holy Quran which hurts Muslims sentiments worldwide.

He stressed that vilification of religion, revered religious personalities, Holy Scriptures and symbols could not be condoned on the self-serving pretext of freedom of expression and protest.

The Prime Minister appreciated the OIC Secretary-General’s role in articulating Muslim Ummah’s concerns and demands about these Islamophobic trends and incidents.

He emphasized that as the collective voice of the Islamic world, the OIC must chalk out a coordinated and comprehensive strategy, aimed at raising global awareness about its perspective and building legal and political deterrence against rising incidents of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia.

While welcoming the convening of an urgent debate at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on the issue, the Prime Minister further underscored that the OIC must raise the issue with the UN Secretary-General and at other relevant forums and bodies within the UN system.

The OIC Secretary-General echoed Pakistan’s condemnation and concerns about the despicable incidents of the public desecration of the Holy Quran.

He reaffirmed OIC’s firm commitment to tackle the contemporary scourge of Islamophobia. The Secretary General lauded Pakistan's leading role in OIC deliberations in general and on this issue in particular.