Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - It is urgent to correct and improve the blasphemy law, to prevent the abuse and exploitation: is what leaders and Muslim scholars, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs state, who met recently in Lahore. Fr. James Channan, Dominican and director of "Peace Center" in Lahore, who was one of the speakers at the meeting in Lahore, told Agenzia Fides that the meeting recalled the 1,170 registered cases of blasphemy in Pakistan in the last six decades. "Asia Bibi is the only person in the history of this country that has been sentenced to death for blasphemy".
The meeting was organized by the "Peace and Harmony Network Pakistan" (PHNP), in collaboration with the "Catholic Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism" (CCIDE), the "Pakistan Ulema and Mushaikh Council" (PUMC), and the "United Religions initiatives" (URI) forum. The Secretary of CCIDE, Javaid William, on behalf of all the organizations, submitted a unanimous request to the government: to order that the official registration of a complaint of blasphemy can only take place by a police officer of the rank of Superintendent and to ensure the safety of both the complainant, and the person denounced until completion of the appropriate investigations. This measure would serve to avoid that the law is abused in private litigation. Besides, the interfaith assembly suggests that all cases of blasphemy are to be processed in superior courts and that, if allegations are proven false, the complainant is to be punished heavily
Fr. Channan explains to Fides: "In the light of recent cases, it is urgent to review and improve the blasphemy law in order to ward off suspicion, distrust and hatred, to correct flawed procedures and to avoid miscarriages of justice". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/11/2014)
