ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations on Monday called for a collective international response to rising “Islamophobia,” warning that unchecked hate speech and extremist narratives were fracturing societies and threatening global peace and stability.

Speaking at a high-level event to mark the International Day for Countering Hate, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said growing intolerance, fueled by politicized media and digital platforms, was targeting not only Muslims but also people of various races, genders and nationalities.

The International Day for Countering Hate is observed each year on June 18, following its institutionalization by the UN in 2023 in response to the global rise in hate-driven violence, incitement and disinformation.

Monday’s event at the UN was hosted by Morocco and the Office on Genocide Prevention.

“The surge in Islamophobia through discriminatory laws, defamation of religious symbols and orchestrated vilification are particularly alarming trends,” Ahmad said. “Media platforms, especially those aligned with dominant political forces, have enabled this hate.”

“Similar tactics now target other marginalized communities,” he continued. “We also observe rising racism and xenophobia fueling division and exclusion. These trends demand urgent collective response.”

Ahmad welcomed the recent appointment of the UN Special Envoy on Combating Islamophobia, an institutional step initiated through a resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in March last year.

Muslim countries, in recent years, have collectively raised their voice against acts of desecration such as the public burning of the Qur’an in several European countries.

Many of these incidents have coincided with the political rise of far-right parties, which have capitalized on anti-immigrant sentiment and targeted Islam and Muslim communities.

Muslim states have called for an end to such practices and have advocated for legal measures to prevent the desecration of religious symbols, arguing that such acts have no connection to free speech and must be addressed under international frameworks protecting religious and cultural dignity.

The Pakistani envoy said the appointment came at a critical time and urged full implementation of the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech.

He also condemned digital platforms and algorithmic systems, saying they reward sensationalism and amplify identity-based hate, warning that truth was being sacrificed in politicized media environments.

Ahmad reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting respect, inclusion and peaceful coexistence, saying that diversity must be seen as a collective strength.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Director General Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro this week vowed that the government would try to ensure next year’s pilgrimage is “even better” for pilgrims, promising more facilities for the elderly ones.

This year’s Hajj took place from June 4 to June 9, drawing millions of pilgrims to the holy cities in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan sent over 115,000 pilgrims under both the government and private schemes.

Speaking at a ceremony held to acknowledge the services of the Pakistani welfare staff during Hajj in Makkah, Soomro said the government introduces new measures every Hajj for its pilgrims and would continue to do so.

“In the next Hajj, we will try to make it even better,” Soomro said on Monday. “We will try to ensure that aged pilgrims, for example, are not allocated a room above the first floor.”

The Pakistani official said the government would also try to ensure that elderly pilgrims are provided accommodations close to the Mashair, or holy sites in Makkah, for their convenience.

“So, these small things that we are adding every year are enriching the overall experience of the pilgrim,” Soomro said.

Dr. Syed Ata ur Rehman, Pakistan’s secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, also spoke at the event. He reminded authorities that the post-Hajj flight operation will continue until the last Pakistani pilgrim and welfare staff return to the country.

“Therefore, the remaining part of the operation should be carried out with the same diligence, attention and caution so that the glory of this success does not diminish,” Rehman told participants.

Pakistan began its post-Hajj flight operation with the arrival of the Pakistan International Airline flight PK-732 in Islamabad on June 11, carrying 307 pilgrims. The country is expected to conclude the operation on July 10.

Over 11,400 pilgrims, including around 3,000 from Madinah, have returned to Pakistan so far, as per figures provided by Pakistan’s religious affairs minister.

The government has announced it has begun preparations for Hajj 2026 as it has received the Saudi Hajj policy and timeline for next year’s pilgrimage.