The French embassy in Pakistan recommended Thursday that its citizens and French companies leave the country temporarily due to "serious threats" to French interests.

"Due to serious threats to French interests in Pakistan, the French and French companies are advised to leave the country temporarily," the embassy wrote in a letter sent to the French residing in Pakistan, where violent anti-French protests erupted this week.

The Pakistan Labbaik Movement has been demonstrating to demand the expulsion of the ambassador from Pakistan since President Emmanuel Macron defended the right to publish cartoons in the name of freedom of expression during a tribute to a teacher killed on Oct. 16 after displaying satirical cartoons to his students.

The police violently suppressed the demonstrations, which resulted in the killing of two policemen.

Supporters of the Pakistan Labake Movement responded angrily to the arrest of their leader, Saad Razavi, Monday in Lahore, cutting off many major crossroads in the city as well as in Karachi, the largest city in the country, and in the capital, Islamabad.

The Pakistani interior minister announced Wednesday that the government was preparing to ban the party.