The government of France is fully aware of the concerns of the French Muslims over the ban on wearing of veil.
This was stated by the Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Philippe Thiebaud, during his meeting with the leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami here at the Idara-e-Noor-e-Haq on Tuesday.
The ambassador was accompanied by the Consul-General of France in Karachi, Christian Ramage. The JI was represented at the meeting by the provincial and city Amirs of the party respectively, Asadullah Bhutto and Ameer Muhammad Hussain Mahenti.
Thiebaud told the Jamaat leaders that the Muslims were the largest minority in France.
The French diplomats had called on the Jamaat leaders just a day after the elections in France in which the French Muslims had participated overwhelmingly in the background of some of the very controversial policies of the outgoing government of President Sarkozy.
Thiebaud also told his hosts at the Idara-e-Noor-e-Haq on Tuesday that his country and Pakistan had had strong friendly ties based on the principles of mutual respect.
France did its best to make Pakistan stronger in terms of its defence needs, and the government of France had been supporting Pakistan’s right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, the French ambassador said.
He said that the JI was a peaceful politico-religious party having a vast majority of educated and trained leaders and activists. The welfare wing of the JI, the Al-Khidmat Welfare Foundation, had had a salient status in the field of service to humanity, he said.
The ambassador said that the tenure of former city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, had been free of corruption. The JI leaders thanked the ambassador for his views. They added that France had always supported Pakistan at times of distress, which was a sure sign and proof that the two countries had had close friendly relations which could never be shaken.
They urged the government of France to play its role in resolving the issues of Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq.
They said that though France had been a secular state, yet the Muslims there believed that they were being exposed to discriminatory treatment.