LAHORE: Rejecting any changes to the Namoos-e-Risalat Act – or the blasphemy law – religious parties have warned the government that they will not accept any move to repeal or amend the law.
The Jamaat Ahl-e-Hadith Pakistan and the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Haqooq Ahl-e-Sunnat – which hold more sway in Lahore, Multan and southern Punjab compared to other areas of the province – organised religious conventions on Saturday to “condemn” suggestions by the government to amend the act.
Addressing one of the conventions, Jamaat Ahl-e-Hadith Pakistan chief Hafiz Abdul Guffar Ropari and leaders Hafiz Abdul Wahab Ropari and Maulana Muhammad Abdullah refused to accept any changes to the law. They said the government must not amend the law “if it wants to remain in power”. They said those who believed in Islam would come out onto the streets if a single change was made. The Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Haqooq Ahl-e-Sunnat also organised a conference, and central party leaders – including Haji Abdul Majeed Saifi, Mufti Muhammad Asif Naumani, Mufti Muhammad Afzal Chishti and Mian Ghulam Shabbir Qadri – censured the government the government for sending the Blasphemy Act to a National Assembly standing committee for revision. hussain kashif
(Daily Times)
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunni Ittehad Council supports South Waziristan operation
KARACHI: The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an alliance of the Sunni Barelvi parties, announced their support to the ongoing army operation against terrorists in South Waziristan Agency.At a press conference on Sunday, they urged the government to continue the operation until all terrorists there were killed. SIC also announced a countrywide protest on November 6 against the amendment or repealing of the blasphemy law.
“The government must inform the nation about the details of arms and ammunition recovered from the terrorists and about those who were supporting these barbaric terrorists,” demanded member of National Assembly, SIC Chairman and Markazi Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Sahibzada Haji Muhammad Fazal Karim and lashed out at Taliban, Al-Qaeda and their supporters.
Sunni Tehreek (ST) chief Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, Nizam-e-Mustafa Party chief Haji Muhammad Hanif Tayyab, Sahibzada Pir Amin-ul-Hasanat and others were also present at ST’s Markaz-e-Ahle Sunnat where Karim addressed the gathering. He criticised the statement of President Asif Ali Zardari about amending the blasphemy law and said, “We shall hold protest demonstrations.”
He expressed his deep concern over foreign interference in Pakistan’s affairs and asked the government to summon an all-parties conference to decide the national strategy to solve the issues of Balochistan and Waziristan.
He demanded the government to immediately withdraw the name of Sunni Tehreek from its watch list. SIC also demanded the government to decrease Rs 10 per litre on petroleum products, urging it to disband OGRA and transfer its powers to the parliament. staff report
‘Political allegiance saved Gojra culprits’
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE
Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha has asked if blasphemy law is so important for Muslims, then why it is not in any other country except Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference held by the Pakistan Christian Action Forum (PCAF) at the Lahore Press Club, Lawrence John said that the true culprits of the Gojra incident had not been apprehended due to political allegiances, despite the face that they were specifically named by the victims. He said that the government had not even bothered to share the report of the investigation committee with the Christian community representatives.
He said the Christian community had the utmost regard and respect for the religious values of the Muslims. He said that the reason for which the minorities felt insecure due to the blasphemy law was that it did not define the offence in particular and its vague definitions had led to the brutal assassination of the innocent.
The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) executive secretary, Peter Jacob, said the government should make all necessary arrangements to repeal all laws encouraging crime and discrimination, especially the blasphemy laws. He said that the cold blooded murder of minorities under the umbrella of such discriminatory laws was against the principles of a democratic state which vows freedom and rights of all religions at equality.
The PCAF demanded the government make serious and credible efforts to protect the life and property of religious minorities in Pakistan. Demanding all sectarian, religious specific discriminatory material from the educational syllabi, the PCAF called for educational reforms in this regard.
It also demanded that the media should provide space to the minorities to form a truly pluralistic society with democratic values so that distributive social and judicial inequalities could be eliminated and the minorities could enjoy jobs in the public sector. Moderator Church of Pakistan bishop Samuel Robert, Firdaus Margaret Chaudhry, Father Emmanuel Yousaf and Advocate Naeem Shakir Chaudhry were also present.
(The News International)
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE
Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha has asked if blasphemy law is so important for Muslims, then why it is not in any other country except Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference held by the Pakistan Christian Action Forum (PCAF) at the Lahore Press Club, Lawrence John said that the true culprits of the Gojra incident had not been apprehended due to political allegiances, despite the face that they were specifically named by the victims. He said that the government had not even bothered to share the report of the investigation committee with the Christian community representatives.
He said the Christian community had the utmost regard and respect for the religious values of the Muslims. He said that the reason for which the minorities felt insecure due to the blasphemy law was that it did not define the offence in particular and its vague definitions had led to the brutal assassination of the innocent.
The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) executive secretary, Peter Jacob, said the government should make all necessary arrangements to repeal all laws encouraging crime and discrimination, especially the blasphemy laws. He said that the cold blooded murder of minorities under the umbrella of such discriminatory laws was against the principles of a democratic state which vows freedom and rights of all religions at equality.
The PCAF demanded the government make serious and credible efforts to protect the life and property of religious minorities in Pakistan. Demanding all sectarian, religious specific discriminatory material from the educational syllabi, the PCAF called for educational reforms in this regard.
It also demanded that the media should provide space to the minorities to form a truly pluralistic society with democratic values so that distributive social and judicial inequalities could be eliminated and the minorities could enjoy jobs in the public sector. Moderator Church of Pakistan bishop Samuel Robert, Firdaus Margaret Chaudhry, Father Emmanuel Yousaf and Advocate Naeem Shakir Chaudhry were also present.
(The News International)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)