ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers on Tuesday called on the National Assembly members to review strict blasphemy laws, a day after the Council of Islamic Ideology ruled out the death penalty for false accusations of blasphemy and ruled that there was no need to amend the blasphemy law.
The lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament during today’s session discussed the recent twin suicide bombings at a Peshawar church that killed 81 people and debated on a possible review of the blasphemy law.
The PTI leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that the blasphemy law was “incorrectly made,” due to which many innocent people are languishing in jails. Therefore, he said there was a need to review the law.
Another member of the PTI, Dr Shireen Mazari said while commenting on the Peshawar bombing that the sacrifices Christians could not be denied.
Mazari said that in order to free innocent non-Muslims from unjust imprisonment, parliament needs to remove flaws from the blasphemy law.
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) lawmaker Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqoob said that the reason for the blasphemy laws was to ensure than nobody disrespects any messenger of Allah including the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Jesus Christ.
The JI leader urged Javed Hashmi of the PTI to move a bill for amending the blasphemy law or to contact Council of Islamic Ideology or federal Shariah Court and register his apprehensions regarding blasphemy law.
Moreover, he said Islam was the religion of peace and provides equal rights to minorities. Conspiracies are being hatched to sabotage the peace process in the country however the dialogue process with the willing Taliban should be held.
