Pakistan Refuses to Modify the 'Blasphemy' Laws

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[Source: Spero News] The government of Pakistan has backed out its commitment to review the country’s controversial Islamic blasphemy laws. On Dec. 30, 2010, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah requested that merchants and those in favor of the blasphemy laws to call off their nation-wide shutdown of businesses scheduled for Dec. 31 because the government has no intention to change or repeal these laws. The government’s move is to appease Islamic religious groups who have announce that they will shutter their businesses on New Years Eve to protest against any move to amend the laws. Just a week ago, the Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti declared that despite various pressures the government will definitely review the laws.

Islamic laws against the “blasphemy” of Islam, Muhammad, the Koran, and Islamic personalities were introduced by late Genral Zia-ul-Haq in 1980s and have widely been misused against Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus and liberal Muslims. Christians and human rights groups have been demanding for the total repeal of the laws.

Yesterday, the government in the National Assembly (lower house of the parliament) categorically denied any move to amend or repeal the blasphemy laws. “The government considers that its prime responsibility is to protect this law and it will never support any private members’ bill even from the treasury benches in this regard,” said the federal minister in a policy statement.

Maulana Attaur Rehman, the younger brother of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, a pro-Taliban party, said in the National Assembly the blasphemy laws were a sensitive issue for Muslims and every Muslim has concerns on any effort that made to repeal this law.

Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Federal Law Minister Babar Awan said separately the PPP government could never think of changing the law, opposing a bill moved in the National Assembly by former PPP minister and MNA (Member of National Assembly) Sherry Rehman and public statements of support by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.

Aftab Alexander Mughal is the Editor Minorities Concern of Pakistan.