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 that the punishment of blasphemy was death penalty. The people would not accept any law contradictory to Shariah as it cannot be touched at this juncture of 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 bringing amendment in the law. The chairwoman said that the matter is quite sensitive and it requires great care.
Senator Mufti Abdul Sattar said that if the capital punishment for blasphemy would be changed into life imprisonment, then the law and order would further worsen.
Senator Farhatullah Babar said that two weeks ago Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar gave assurance that Professor Salman Haider and other two missing people would be recovered soon, but to no avail.
To a question, police officials told the committee that a special investigating team is looking into the matter of missing persons, including Salman and Samar Abbas.
Nasreen instructed police to recover them without any delay as the image of the country has been deteriorated due to these kinds of incidents.
“The voice of liberal elements is being pinned down and they are vanishing from the scene continuously. If they committed any crime, then the FIR should be registered against them and they should be presented in the courts. But the mysterious kidnapping of the people is out of ponder,” she added. Nasreen also said the committee had also written a letter to PTA, PEMRA and Cyber Crime Wing of FIA to take action against those people who are circulating hate material against the missing persons.
She also asked the police high-ups to arrest the culprits involved in the violence on minor maids.
The police officials told the committee that after the incident that took place at worship place in Chakwal on 12 Rabiul Awal, the said building 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 worship place after fulfilling all the legal requirements.