By Muhammad Naeem Chaudhry
LONDON, Sept 18, (APP) : President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the Pakistan government would ensure that the blasphemy law was not misused against anyone and those doing so are brought to justice. He said this while talking to Rowan Williams the Archbishop of Canterbury who called on him here today.
Later briefing the journalists about the meeting, the spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Archbishop raised the issue of recent acts of violence against the Christians in Gojra and other towns in the Punjab.
The President said that he and the government had strongly condemned the incidents of violence against members of the Christian community and had ordered the immediate arrest of those involved in the heinous crime and to bring them to justice. The President assured the Archbishop that the culprits will be brought to justice.
The President also informed the Archbishop that immediately upon learning of the incident he had despatched the federal minister for Minorities Affairs to the affected villages to convey his condolences and sympathy to the victims’ families and to assess the damage and coordinate efforts for bringing the culprits to book.
He said the federal minister stayed with the victims’ families for several days and submitted a report to the government in the light of which strong action was initiated.
Dr Williams commended the government of Pakistan for taking swift action by announcing compensation to the victims’ families and ordering a probe into the incidents.
President Zardari further said that the PPP government was committed to promote interfaith harmony and informed the Archbishop that Pakistan had pioneered a resolution in the UN calling for interfaith harmony.
The government had also decided to establish an interfaith centre in the country, he added.
The President also said that the government was conscious of the misuse of blasphemy law in the country by extremist elements and also by vested interests and would not permit misuse of the law.
Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying the government viewed the misuse of blasphemy law with serious concern and was conscious of the need to urgently address the issue in consultation with other political parties, the civil society and members of minority communities in the country.
The government will endeavour to seek a broad based political consensus on the issue and that the government will also consult the major political parties, he added.
The President said that no one will be permitted to hound members of minorities in the name of religion.
Farhatullah Babar said that there was a constructive discussion and an agreement on the fundamental importance of mutual respect between religions and the responsibility of the governments to ensure safety of all citizens regardless of their religious beliefs.
The President said that the commitment of PPP can be seen from the fact that sometime back it supported procedural amendments in the law to check its misuse even when a hostile government opposed to the PPP had proposed the amendments.
He further stated that the Party was then criticized by obscurantist elements for supporting a legislative move by the government of the day but it went ahead with it in the light of its egalitarian and progressive outlook and its Manifesto commitment to protect minorities and bring them into the mainstream of national life.
Dr Williams proposed discussion about how best the Christian and Muslim communities in UK and Pakistan could be engaged for promoting religious harmony. He also commended the work of the Christian Muslim forum.
The President invited Archbishop to visit Pakistan with a delegation comprising of the representatives of the Archbishop and the British Muslim community.
The Archbishop also condoled with President Zardari the assassination of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He said, “I pray that her death will not be in vain and that Pakistan will emerge from the present troubles to take place as an example of a nation in which all are safe and respected”.
The Archbishop also thanked the President for meeting him and prayed for the people of Pakistan especially at this time of Ramadan and the coming Eid.
(APP)
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