Who is Geert Wilders, the controversial Dutch MP who got a Pakistani cricketer jailed?

Former Pakistani cricketer Khalid Latif has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Dutch court on Monday, September 11, for inciting the murder of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders.

The 37-year-old former Pakistani cricketer offered 21,000 euros for the assassination of Wilders in a video, following the controversial Dutch MP's call for a competition involving cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.

12 jaar gevangenisstraf voor de Pakistaan Khalid #Latif die een prijs op mijn hoofd heeft gezet! @MinPres Rutte en minister @DilanYesilgoz moeten de Pakistaanse autoriteiten onder stevige druk zetten mee te werken aan de arrestatie en uitlevering van deze nu veroordeelde… pic.twitter.com/qeReBowtBw

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) September 11, 2023

However, it is unlikely that Latif will serve his sentence as he is currently in Pakistan. Dutch authorities have requested assistance from Pakistani authorities regarding Latif, but so far, no cooperation has been forthcoming.

So, who is Geert Wilders?

Born in 1963, Geert Wilders is the founder of the Party for Freedom, which is the third-largest party in the Netherlands. He has been the party's leader in the House of Representatives since 1998.

Wilders gained recognition in India last year when he supported BJP's suspended spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, for her controversial statement against Prophet Muhammad. Wilders, on his X account (formerly Twitter), said, "Appeasement never works. So, my dear friends in India, don't be intimidated by Islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and be proud and steadfast in defending your politician Nupur Sharma, who spoke the truth about Muhammad."

Wilders has consistently held strong views against Islam, and since 2004, he has been under police security.

Last year, the Dutch Supreme Court upheld his conviction for discrimination after he insulted Moroccans at a local election rally in 2014. Wilders asked his supporters in a rally whether they wanted fewer or more Moroccans in the European Nation.

During his campaign for the 2017 Prime Ministerial polls, Wilders courted another controversy when he called for a ban on the Muslim religious book, the Koran, and even equated it with Hitler's 'Mein Kampf.' He stated, "I would rather not have the Koran at all, as we in Holland have outlawed Mein Kampf."

In April of last year, X (formerly Twitter) suspended Wilders' account after he attacked Islam and mentioned Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, in his post. The social networking platform took action against Wilders, citing violations of its rules against hateful conduct.

However, the account was restored after a month