Pakistan: Evangelical alliance welcomes report on blasphemy law

The Asian Evangelical Alliance (AEA) on Monday welcomed a Pakistani tribunal's suggestion to amend the controversial blasphemy law in that country.

Following the Gojra riots that saw nine Christians burnt to death by a frenzied mob, the Pakistani government instituted an inquiry panel to study the Blasphemy Act 1986 which rights organisations say is used as a pretext to attack minorities.

The panel, headed by Lahore High Court Judge Iqbal Hameedur Rehman, in its inquiry report recommended amending the law "without any discrimination against those responsible for commission and omission".

The report, according to Daily Times, warned the government to take the Gojra tragedy seriously and do the needful "on war-footing without further loss of time."

Now that an official report is out, the general secretary of AEA, Rev. Dr. Richard Howell, appealed the Pakistan Government to "change the blasphemy laws and uphold equality and freedom of all its citizens in particular of its minorities."

In the 258-page report, Justice Rehman apprised the government that it was facing grave challenges in the form of terrorism and militancy and it "cannot afford another menace of sectarian disputes".

The tribunal also noted that the riots were a result of the "inability of law-enforcement agencies to assess the gravity of the situation" and "complete failure of police while discharging their duties."

Churches has been since long clamoring against the contentious blasphemy law which in the past led to the arrest of scores of Christians on false charges.

In an earlier conversation with Christian Today, Victor Azariah, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Pakistan (NCCP), condemned the blasphemy law for "persecuting and victimizing Christians, sometimes even on personal enmity."

The blasphemy law states that "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...shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."

NCCP has been holding several meetings and rallies to draw international attention to the gruesome burning alive of Christians in Gojra sparked over a rumored desecration of Koran, says Azariah.

Church joined by several civil society groups has unanimously demanded the amending of the law and bringing adequate measures for protection of minorities.