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PAKPAC asks Pakistani
Legislators to amend
Blasphemy Laws
Washington,
D.C.,
November 23, 2010:
The recent death
sentence of a Pakistani
Christian
woman, Asia Bibi, has
once again brought to
light the misuse and
abuse of the ambiguous
Blasphemy Laws. Asia
Bibi has been accused
for blasphemy against
Islam
under section 295B of
the Pakistani Penal Code,
by
Additional Sessions
Court in District
Sheikhupura. This law
encourages certain
elements which
institutionalize
intolerance in the name
of religion and spread
social persecution and
legal discrimination.
As it stands, this law
with its ambiguity harms
Pakistan and its’
citizens.
When a group of Muslims
attacked Hindu
minorities in January of
1948, the founding
Father of Pakistan,
Quaid e Azam, said,
“…Muslims! Protect your
Hindu Neighbors.
Cooperate with the
Government and the
officials in protecting
your Hindu Neighbors
against these lawless
elements, fifth
columnists and cliques.
Pakistan must be
governed through the
properly constituted
Government and not by
cliques or fifth
columnists or Mobs…”
The Pakistani American
Public Affairs Committee
(PAKPAC) condemns the
abuse of the Blasphemy
Laws. We request
President Zardari
not to accede to the
threats made by certain
religious groups
and award
imminent clemency to
Asia Bibi.
 Such
news emanating from
Pakistan hinders its
stature in rest of the
world, which in turn
negatively impacts its
economic stability and
trade practices. The
Blasphemy Laws have not
only been used to target
minorities in Pakistan;
Muslims of different
religious schools of
thought have also been
targeted by these
controversial laws. A
study by the National
Commission for Justice
and Peace reports that a
total of 964 people had
been charged under the
Blasphemy Laws in
Pakistan from 1986 to
2009. Out of these, 479
were Muslims, 340
Ahmedis, 119 Christians,
14 Hindus, and 10 of
other religions. It
should be noted that as
of yet none of those who
have been charged under
the Laws have been
executed; but 32 people
charged with blasphemy
have been
extra-judicially killed.
Last July, Lahore High
Court Chief Justice
Khawaja Sharif while
overturning
a blasphemy case said
‘the treatment meted out
to the woman was an
insult to humanity and
the government, and that
civil organizations
should be vigilant
enough to help such
people’. It is time that
organizations like
PAKPAC standup to their
principle and
seek the review of the
Blasphemy Laws so that
justice can be served.
We ask the larger
society in Pakistan to
educate the masses of
the virtue of tolerance.
Pakistanis must start a
meaningful and focused
dialogue to look at how
the Blasphemy Laws are
being abused and thus
violating the basic
premise of their
creation – to protect
minorities.
PAKPAC is asking
Pakistan’s legislators
to amend and remove
ambiguity and legal
discrimination from
Section 295 and 298 of
the Pakistan Penal Code
which covers the
blasphemy provisions. PAKPAC
asks of Pakistani
politicians not to
settle scores or seek
political gains in the
present crisis, but do
what is right for the
country and its citizens
and to uphold the
teachings of Islam and
Pakistan’s Constitution,
thus treating all
citizens as equals. In
the near future,
PAKPAC plans to meet
Pakistani legislators in
the United States as
well as in Pakistan,
urging them to initiate
the review process and
put an end to the abuse
of the Blasphemy Laws.
For more information
write to
ed@pakpac.net or call 202
558 6404
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PAKPAC wishes its
readers a happy and
safe Thanksgiving
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