Federal Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada has on Thursday said that India could be involved in spreading religious hatred in the areas adjacent to the southern border.
The minister stated during a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights that whenever a foreign delegation announced their intention to visit Pakistan, an incident of blasphemy would occur.
Reacting to the minister’s statement, lawmaker Mohsin Dawar said that blaming foreign hands in every case of blasphemy is not an appropriate practice.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA Naveed Aamir Jeeva also criticised the remarks of the federal minister. "Is our border management so weak? Has the writ of our institutions become so weak," he said.
"Mr Minister, such statements are not appropriate, and you should review your remarks; you should take ownership in such matters," MNA Naveed Aamir Jeeva said.
The minister responded that it was not just his responsibility, adding: "You are an MNA too; you should also share the responsibility."
On February 11, a blasphemy accused in Nankana Sahib was forcibly taken out of the police station by an angry mob of people and tortured to death.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry.
The unfortunate incident took place in Warburton area of Nankana Sahib, where the accused, a Muslim male, was detained in Warburton police station on charges of ‘blasphemy’ and ‘witchcraft’ by using pictures of his ex-wife. He was also accused of burning pages of the Holy Quran. He had recently returned after spending 2 years in jail.
An angry mob attacked the police station where the accused was locked up, while the SHO of the police station and other employees of law enforcement escaped with their lives. Sources say the mob first dragged the accused out of the lockup, and then proceeded to torture him before killing him and setting his body ablaze.
Pakistan’s deeply religious and spiritually skeptical society has become steadily intolerant over the years, and blasphemy allegations under the country’s draconian ‘blasphemy laws‘ are a vicious tool used to oppress religious minorities and even exact vengeance on fellow Muslims. The country’s decrepit legal system provides few protections to those accused of hurting religious sensibilities of the overzealous Muslim majority, experts say.
The minister stated during a session of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights that whenever a foreign delegation announced their intention to visit Pakistan, an incident of blasphemy would occur.
Reacting to the minister’s statement, lawmaker Mohsin Dawar said that blaming foreign hands in every case of blasphemy is not an appropriate practice.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA Naveed Aamir Jeeva also criticised the remarks of the federal minister. "Is our border management so weak? Has the writ of our institutions become so weak," he said.
"Mr Minister, such statements are not appropriate, and you should review your remarks; you should take ownership in such matters," MNA Naveed Aamir Jeeva said.
The minister responded that it was not just his responsibility, adding: "You are an MNA too; you should also share the responsibility."
On February 11, a blasphemy accused in Nankana Sahib was forcibly taken out of the police station by an angry mob of people and tortured to death.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry.
The unfortunate incident took place in Warburton area of Nankana Sahib, where the accused, a Muslim male, was detained in Warburton police station on charges of ‘blasphemy’ and ‘witchcraft’ by using pictures of his ex-wife. He was also accused of burning pages of the Holy Quran. He had recently returned after spending 2 years in jail.
An angry mob attacked the police station where the accused was locked up, while the SHO of the police station and other employees of law enforcement escaped with their lives. Sources say the mob first dragged the accused out of the lockup, and then proceeded to torture him before killing him and setting his body ablaze.
Pakistan’s deeply religious and spiritually skeptical society has become steadily intolerant over the years, and blasphemy allegations under the country’s draconian ‘blasphemy laws‘ are a vicious tool used to oppress religious minorities and even exact vengeance on fellow Muslims. The country’s decrepit legal system provides few protections to those accused of hurting religious sensibilities of the overzealous Muslim majority, experts say.