Police said the protestors had agreed to not go beyond a certain point during the protests
Police fired tear gas on protestors that were marching towards the French Embassy in Islamabad. The leaders of the group had earlier agreed to stay within a certain part of the city.
However, the terms were breached by the protestors. As per witnesses, about 3,000 protestors were a part of the rally that moved towards the diplomatic enclave.
According to a police official, the teargas was used to disburse the crowd. “We needed to fire teargas shells when the protesters tried to violate their agreement,” police official Amanullah Niazi said.
Many Muslim leaders including Prime Minister Imran Khan have urged the French President to revisit his stance and not to hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims across the globe. However, it appears to be a matter of policy and not a sudden reaction at the end of the French government.
Protests continue across Pakistan
Protests against the French President and government are continuing across Pakistan. Peaceful rallies denouncing the remarks from the Emanuel Macron and the display of blasphemous caricatures on government buildings.
Similar sentiments can be seen across the globe where Muslims are decrying the acts of the French government under the banner of free speech. However, the same preachers of free speech seem offended when the French President was called out by the Turkish President Tayep Erdogan.
Boycott of French Products
Muslims across the world are boycotting French products as a retaliation to the government’s actions. The government of Pakistan pulled out of a military equipment deal worth $1.5 billion after the recent stunt by Macron.
Many Muslim groups have named French products and have asked the consumers to stop purchasing those products. Some of the larger supermarket brands in Muslim countries have also boycotted French origin products as well.