March 8th, 2011 
Param 
Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law is in international news these days because of the recent brutal murders of two top Pakistan politicians. They were Pakistan’s central minorities’ Minister Shahbaz Bhatti and Punjab governor Salman Tasir. The killers of both these politicians were inspired and instigated by the teachings of Pakistan’s Islamic fundamentalists. Salman Tasir was assassinated by his own bodyguard when he was entering into his car. His bodyguard emptied his carbine on the governor and entered all the 27 bullets into Tasir’s body. After that he boastfully announced that he had punished a kafir that was supporting infidelity in Pakistan. Next day around 500 religious leaders appealed to the public not to get involved in Tasir’s last rights. Salman Tasir was an open critic of this law and was working for amendment in this controversial law which was a major reason behind human rights violations in Pakistan by the majority Muslim community. He was being repeatedly threatened by the Islamic militants for last some time but he never paid any heed to their death threats. Islamic militants of Pakistan have openly declared that any one involved in infidelity will be a ‘sure’ target of their bullets. Shahbaz Bhatti was assassinated because he was supporting amendments in the blasphemy law. Mrs. Sherry Rehman is a famous PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) and was preparing a bill with the aim of amending the blasphemy law in the Parliament. Bhatti was openly supporting this cause and that is why he was assassinated by the fundamentalists.
Sherry Rehman has been requested by her own party leadership that she should abandon her efforts for amending the blasphemy law and should go out of country because her life is in danger. She had presented Blasphemy amendment bill in the Parliament and is being threatened by the Islamic fundamentalist militants. A few days ago, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani had declared that Sherry Rehman will not present the amendment bill in the Parliament. This shows that even the Prime Minister is reluctant to support this bill and is afraid of Islamic Fundamentalists. That is why he made this announcement without consulting with Mrs. Sherry Rehman. But on the other had Rehman is determined to present the blasphemy amendment bill in the Parliament. These amendments are necessary for the bright future of Pakistan but Prime Minister and the ruling PPP is callous towards the future of Pakistan and its only aim is to remain in power. But it cannot remain in power without the support of the fundament forces.
Pakistan’s Islamic Blasphemy law shot into limelight in November 2010 when a Pakistani court announced death sentence to a Christian woman Aasia Bibi who was accused of disrespecting Islam and Koran Shariff. Aasia Bibi’s co-workers had intrigued against her and had made her an accused of Blasphemy. But the court rejected the existence of any kind of intrigue on the basis of facts presented in the court. Pakistani society gave a very little response to this controversial decision but it was widely criticized at the international level. President Asif Ali Zardari was requested by many organizations to rule out this decision but all such efforts went in vain.
Though the blasphemy law existed in Pakistan since the British era but it was General Zia-Ul-Haq who established it as a forceful law in 1980. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and USA had created an alliance to fight against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. For this purpose Islamic fundamentalism was used as an inspirational arm. Within a decade Islamic fundamentalism became a threat to the liberal society of all these countries. After General Zia-Ul-Haq’s death, who ever came into power he used Islamic fundamentalism to establish itself and destabilize their political opponents. This not ended here. People started to use this law for their vested interests. And most of the time, non-Muslims were at the receiving end. Religious fundamentalist forces and groups are making full use of this law and some times non-Sunny Muslims are also targeted. In recent years Mosques and other common places of Shias have also been targeted. Some small Muslim sects like Ahmadi and Kadiani have been declared as non-Muslims by making a law and incidents of violence against them have increased.
In recent years Pakistan and Afghanistan have emerged as a battleground in which many hidden international forces are fighting. At one hand West is trying its best to establish its control in this region and on the other hand India and China are trying to establish themselves at the leaders of this continent. Amid even struggle, Islamic fundamentalism has emerged as a global threat. Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law is like oxygen for this kind of organizations. At present, Islamic fundamentalist forces are very powerful in Pakistan but people have also started to raise voice against them. Though some of the voices have been silenced but voice for human rights can not be put to an end forever.
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