Bilour’s bounty offer irresponsible, hate-mongering: Hoagland

Published
0

Photo shows Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour.— Reuters/File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The acting US ambassador to Pakistan, Richard E. Hoagland declared Federal Minister for Railways, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour’s announcement of awarding $100,000 to the murderer of the anti-Islam film’s director as being irresponsible and hate-mongering here on Thursday, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to the media at an event here in Islamabad, Hoagland said no matter what the emotions, their expression must always be open. He added that the anti-Islam film was an individual action that could not be stopped due to freedom of speech.

Furthermore, he said that people like the person who made the anti-Islam film are found in every society.

He also added that the controversial film has created a new argument regarding the boundaries of the freedom of speech and its consequences.

When asked about the US drone attacks, Hoagland replied that whichever initiative is viable to prevent terrorism would be the best way to ensure world peace.

Opinion

Editorial

Cost of provinces
Updated 01 Nov, 2026

Cost of provinces

Political parties demanding new provinces must explain how they intend to pay for them and what improvements citizens can expect.
Exchange hack
01 Nov, 2026

Exchange hack

ON Thursday, the largest cryptocurrency heist in history saw some $6.3bn drained from exchange platform Binance’s...
Cyber safety
Updated 01 Nov, 2026

Cyber safety

The state of freedom of expression in Pakistan is already quite poor, so any further attempts to clamp down on free speech must be resisted.
China green channel
Updated 31 Oct, 2026

China green channel

The green channel is a useful step, given Pakistan identifies which agricultural products it can export, meets Chinese quality standards, and builds dependable supply chains.
Excessive punishment
Updated 31 Oct, 2026

Excessive punishment

It is unfortunate to see her and her husband punished so harshly for acts that seem downright frivolous compared to the violence actual terrorists routinely perpetrate.
Forced conversions
31 Oct, 2026

Forced conversions

THE institutional bias against minority females leaves them to either be directly victimised or to live in ...