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A
Protestant body in Pakistan welcomed Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani’s pledge to review blasphemy laws
that has been used since decades to subdue Christians in
the predominantly Muslim nation.
“It is a surprising and cheerful news. No political
party or leader has made such a statement from years,”
Suhail Akhtar of National Council of Churches in
Pakistan, told Christian Today.
Prime Minister Gilani promised Christians that the
government would review blasphemy laws that balk
religious harmony in that country. The statement was
made in the backdrop of brutal violence on a Christian
neighbourhood in Gojra city where eight Christians were
killed and dozen homes burned.
“A committee comprising constitutional experts, the
minister for minorities, the religious affairs minister
and other representatives will discuss the laws
detrimental to religious harmony to sort out how they
could be improved,” Gilani told a gathering in Gojra.
Several occasions, on the pretext of blasphemy,
Christians have been attacked, pastors and priests
arrested, women raped and homes burnt. Christian leaders
- both Catholic and Protestant - demanded the repeal of
the Blasphemy law in the August 4 rally held in Lahore.
According to Pakistan Penal code, Section 295-C, “Use of
derogatory remarks, etc; in respect of the Holy Prophet.
Whoever by words, either spoken or written or by visible
representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or
insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred
name of the Holy Prophet Mohammed shall be punished with
death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be
liable to fine.”
But Christians feel they are being roped in false cases
under blasphemy charges. The law is being misused by
fundamental Muslims to persecute and reduce the
minorities, they say.
Asma Jahangir, chairwoman of Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan, has also welcomed Gilani’s statement.
“It is good to hear Prime Minister Gilani saying this
... In my view the blasphemy law should be repealed
forthwith,” she was quoted by the AP saying.
Pakistan is a federal republic and has a legal system
based both on English common law and on Islamic Shari’ah
law.
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