In a veiled reference to recent violence by a radical Islamist party, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan came hard on political and religious parties for “misusing Islam” to “damage” the country, as per a report in Dawn. 

"ln our country it is a great misfortune that many times our political parties and religious parties use Islam wrongly and use it such that they deal damage to their own country," he was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The love, kindness, and attachment for Islam and the Holy Prophet are unparalleled in Pakistan, he said while addressing an inauguration ceremony for a highway in Islamabad on Monday. 

“So I am saddened that many times this love is misused. Does the government not worry about this? That when there is disrespect of Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) honor then aren't we pained?" 

This was the first occasion when the Pakistan prime minister reacted publicly after the last week's violent protests by the TLP - an outlawed religious political party- swept major cities in the country. Supporters of the group even abducted around 11 police personnel on Sunday. 

However, they were released on Monday following the negotiation between the Punjab government and the group. 

"Violent protests in Pakistan will make no difference to the country where the blasphemous act has occurred,” Khan said, adding that he would try to introduce a campaign, along with other Muslim countries, that can be taken up in platforms like the EU and the UN. 

Earlier on Saturday, Khan asked western countries’ governments to “penalize those deliberately spreading their message of hate against Muslims" by disrespecting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the same way that they had "outlawed any negative comment against the Holocaust.”