Home Media Reports 2010 Changes in blasphemy law

	Thursday, December 16, 2010, Muharram 09, 1432 A.H.
Changes in blasphemy law

Thursday, December 16, 2010
By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: An All Parties Conference (APC), held under the aegis of the Aalmi Majlis-e-Tahaffuz Khatam-e-Nabuwwat, held here on Wednesday gave a call for a countrywide shutterdown on December 31 against efforts to change the blasphemy law.

“The APC has categorically decided that any effort to repeal or weaken the blasphemy law will not be tolerated and Namoos-e-Risalat will be protected at all costs,” JUI-F Amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman said while addressing a press conference after chairing the APC.

Besides others, the APC was attended by ex-Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad, PML-Q chief Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Allama Sajid Naqvi and Abul Khair Zubair.Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Chaudhry Shujaat strongly condemned the moves to try to make the blasphemy laws controversial. “All such attempts will be foiled with full force,” they said.

The speakers warned the government and its parliamentarians to refrain from making efforts to review or repeal the blasphemy law or encouraging those involved in blasphemous acts. “The government cannot dare to table any bill to amend the blasphemy law,” they said.

Asked as to how they would oppose any amendment in the blasphemy law in parliament, Fazlur Rehman emphatically said that nobody could dare speak on this issue on the floors of the two houses. He asked the government to clarify its position on the blasphemy law or get ready for humiliation.

Announcing the protest programme, he said countrywide demonstrations would be organised after Friday prayers on December 24 and shutterdown would be observed on December 31. A big public meeting would be addressed by central leadership of the APC on January 09.

The All Parties Conference also constituted a committee, headed by Sahibzada Abul Khair Zubair of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, to organise the movement all over the country. However, Fazlur Rehman said the future plan of action would be chalked out after consulting heads of all the religious parties. The committee would activate and organise moves from local to central levels.

Fazlur Rehman said in a country of 170 million people, every citizen enjoys freedom but the Western civilization had no place here. He called upon the traders’ community and shopkeepers to respond to the strike call with Islamic and national spirit. He declined to comment on the revival of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

INP adds: Maulana Fazlur Rehman said a big public meeting and protest demonstration would be held in Karachi on January 9, which will be attended by all the central leaders of the religious parties.

He said Dr Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair had been made chairman of Tehrik-e-Namoos-e-Risalat. The Tehrik will form sub-committees to organise the Tehrik at grassroot level. Fazl said they wanted to send a message to the world that the entire nation was united over the protection of “Namoos-e-Risalat”.

Source: www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=2696&Cat=13