PESHAWAR – All parties were on the same page on the floor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly on Thursday against any possible attempts to amend the Blasphemy Law.
Responding to points raised by opposition members, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti said the ruling parties would be a step ahead of religious parties to protect the Blasphemy Law.
“The entire House members will be on roads to mark protest if someone attempted to amend the law,” Hoti said.
He said it could be a personnel viewpoint of some members to amend the blasphemy law, but not of the government.
“The federal government has clarified that it has no intention to change the blasphemy law and such a move will not be supported if someone tried to amend it,” he said. He urged the politico-religious parties to call off their strike, as it would further affect the fragile economy of the province.
Speaker Kiramatullah Chagharmatti had allowed the house to debate on the adjournment motion moved by JUI-F’s Hafiz Akhtar Ali regarding the proposed changes in the blasphemy law.
Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour said, “We can’t imagine changing the Blasphemy Law. We can sacrifice our lives and properties, but no one will be allowed to change the law. It is a matter of life and death for us.”
The religious parties had politicised the issue and were raising a hue and cry for nothing, he said. PPP parliamentary leader Abdul Akbar Khan said that if the adjournment motion on the proposed changes in the blasphemy law was approved for debate with the full support of the treasury benches, then how could the treasury be against the debate on the matter.
KP Assembly vows to defend blasphemy law
