Under pressure from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leadership, former Minister Sherry Rehman — who has been advised by the government to leave the country in view of threats to her life for drafting a Bill to amend the blasphemy law — has decided not to pursue with the draft legislation.
While Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had announced in the National Assembly on Wednesday that Ms. Rehman had agreed to withdraw the Bill, the legislator made it clear that she was not consulted. “But since the PM has announced that there cannot even be discussion on procedural amendments, and the committee announced by the party to amend laws has been disbanded, then as a PPP MNA, I have no option but to abide by the party decision in Parliament.''
Meanwhile, alarmed at the trend of accusing individuals of “blasphemy”, Citizens for Democracy (CFD) — an umbrella group of individuals and organisations opposed to the misuse of the blasphemy law and religion in politics — urged the political class to take a clear stand against this practice.
Arguing that the charge of blasphemy has become an incitement to violence and even murder, CFD said no one had the right to term anyone else a “ gustakh ” (blasphemer) and those who support such accusations are equally guilty of inciting violence and murder. Further, CFD noted that those who glorified Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's assassin as a “ ghazi” (hero) are now using violence and threats of violence against those who want to refer to the slain politician as “ shaheed ” (martyr). “We believe that each citizen has the right to view or term anyone as a ‘ ghazi ' or a ‘ shaheed ' without fear of reprisal.''
The Human Rights Watch has asked the government to “immediately drop'' blasphemy charges against 17-year-old boy for allegedly including derogatory remarks about the Prophet in his answer sheet in April 2010.
“Pakistan has set the standard for intolerance when it comes to misusing blasphemy laws, but sending a schoolboy to jail for something he scribbled on an exam paper is truly appalling. It's bad enough that a school official flagged it, but for police and judicial authorities to go ahead and lock up a teenager under these circumstances is mind boggling.”
