Daily Times

The emancipation of Asia Bibi is a garden fresh fragrance for all those who struggled for her release during the period of her solitary confinement. Among those, her immediate family members, the Christian community of Pakistan and abroad, the wider international community, human rights organizations, the Holy See, and human rights champions of Pakistan including the three legendary figures, Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, and Asma Jahangir. Who knows, after this judgment, how relieved are the souls of these martyrs of humanity, but it is obvious that Asia’s release is the reverberation of the sacrifices of these godly figures. It is imaginable that the mission started by the assassinated governor of Punjab, SalamanTaseer has been accomplished for which he laid his life. As a shareholder of worldwide human rights baton, with this judgment, the country has occupied a reliable place among the comity of nations who preach civilities and human rights. Also in Pakistan, this verdict will lay a golden brick upon the ongoing efforts for the improvement of human rights in the country. This was not just a case of an individual but the international recognition of victimizing an innocent person has always put the country into a critical situation. On many occasions, Pakistani leaders were embarrassed to find the international reports on the treatment to the religious minorities living in Pakistan. Asia’s nine years in prison were constantly abridging the space to claim the fair treatment given to the religious minorities. The most negative side of this scenario was that Pakistan’s neighbouring countries were pleasantly finding the socio-political latitude to criticize Pakistan. However, the resonance of this verdict was heard in the British parliament the day Asia Bibi was released when the UK parliament and the Prime Minister lauded not only the Pakistani judiciary but the government as well.Not only this but everywhere in the civilized world, this decision has been welcomed with praise. Now, how this decision will affect Pakistan? Simply, out of Pakistani geographical borders, especially in the western world this judgment has placed the country in a decorous position which will allow the local political elite to talk confidently on all international human rights forums. Because of this case, there was restlessness among EU. for renewing the GPS status where Pakistan is the major beneficiary for the international trade with European Union countries. Every year US state department of International freedom issues a report where Pakistan is always recommended to be added as a country of particular concern.

The spontaneous reaction from the far right religious political parties of Pakistan after Asia’s judgment is not spontaneous at all; rather this is the product of nourishing the misinterpreted religious ideology at the hands of our past and present political structure

The international Christian organizations show their deep concerns over the ever-increasing minorities’ persecution. Asia’s case was the leading example of the brutal violation of human as well as religious minorities’ rights in Pakistan, now, given that, she has been released, it might be propitious for the international community to expeditiously revise its approach towards the existing narrative of maltreatment of religious minorities in the country. Although, every day religious minorities are facing persecution in Pakistan but at least, a strong message has been sent to the world that Pakistani institutions believe in the rule of law. The panel of the three judges has widely been praised all over the world but the courage shown by the Prime Minister of Pakistan has also drawn to the attention of the international governments, human rights organizations and champions of equality that the country has started a new voyage of positivity. There are a number of bright sides of this judgment but the fact cannot be overlooked that during the last seventy years, Pakistani leaders used religion as a tool to strengthen their political lives. All political parties groomed and used hardcore Islamic religious elements and groups to gain power. Unfortunately, these ignorant, illiterate and self-styled religiopolitical short-sighted leaders always put Pakistan into serious crises of governance.  For sure, Pakistan is the only country where the use of the religious aggression is very common; however, this has never been realized that abuse of religion has kept Pakistan opposite to the usual civilized way of making progress. Over the years, Pakistan could not find a leader who could transform the country according to the vision of the founder of Pakistan. We never thought of the fact that why the world recognizes Jinnah as one of the greatest leaders in the history of Indo-Pak. And why our soil failed to produce a leader of the similar caliber? The answer is straightforward; we absolutely repudiated the ideology of Jinnah and replaced that with fanaticism. If, even after seventy years of independence our collective wisdom is failed to recognize the labouring under the political misapprehensions, it is a fear that centuries needed for the recovery. The spontaneous reaction from the far right religious political parties of Pakistan after Asia’s judgment is not spontaneous at all; rather this is the product of nourishing the misinterpreted religious ideology at the hands of our past and present political structure.  Although, the Prime Minister of Pakistani very innocently claimed the protestors as a tiny group of people but there is a large silent support present in the country for them who believe that religion is the only way to govern a state. The idea of Madina styled state is a dream in Pakistan which will never come true. In Madina state, a woman who throws garbage on the prophet is forgiven and in this so-called Islamic state, an innocent is put behind the bars for nine years and still Islamists are thirsty for her blood.Whereas, when the supreme court of Pakistan has set her free as an innocent person then who will set the score of her nine years in a solitary confinement. It is a matter of serious concern that how innocent people suffer in prisons for years. Therefore, the best idea is to come back to the founder’s ideology where theocracy was rejected and all participants of the state were given the freedom to exercise their faith. When the human race does not improve itself then evolution plays its role, so, the panel of judges, the Prime Minister and the nation is passing through an automatic evolution of social growth where rejuvenating of the nation is in progress for a safer place and balanced country for every citizen on the basis of equality.

The writer can be reached at Kaleem.dean@mail.com

Published in Daily Times, November  4^th 2018.