Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the House in Senate, Raja Zafarul Haq, on Thursday said the issue related to the amendment in the blasphemy law is very sensitive.

He was addressing the functional committee of Senate on human rights as a special invitee. The committee meeting was held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Nasreen Jalil.

Zafar said the punishment of blasphemy was death penalty and the people of Pakistan would not accept any law in contradiction of Shariah. He believes it cannot be touched at this time when the country’s law and order is worse.

He assured the committee chairwoman that the government would take the committee into confidence before making an amendment to the law. The chairwoman also agreed that the matter is quite sensitive and requires great care.

Senator Mufti Abdul Sattar said that if the capital punishment for blasphemy would be changed into life imprisonment, then law and order would further worsen.

Senator Farhatullah Babar stated that two weeks ago, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar gave his assurance that Professor Salman Haider and two other missing people would be recovered soon, but to no avail. In response to a question, police officials told the committee that a special investigation team is looking into the matter of missing persons, including Salman and Samar Abbas.

Nasreen instructed police to recover them without any delay since the image of the country has greatly deteriorated as a result of these incidents.

“The voice of liberal elements is being pinned down and they are vanishing from the scene continuously. If they committed any crime, then an FIR should be registered against them and they should be presented in the courts. But the mysterious kidnapping of people is out of order,” she added. Nasreen also said the committee had written a letter to PTA, PEMRA, and the Cyber Crime Wing of FIA to take action against those people who are circulating hate material against the missing persons.

She also asked high-ranking officials in the police to arrest the culprits involved in committing violence against minor domestic workers.

Police officials told the committee that after the incident which took place at a place of worship in Chakwal on 12 Rabiul Awal, the aforementioned mosque was sealed. They also said the main culprit behind the attack, Abdul Rashid, had fled to Canada and they have informed the interior ministry in this regard. Nasreen instructed the police to reopen the mosque after fulfilling all the legal requirements.