The assassination of Punjab Governor has brought mourning as well as severe effects in Pakistan at the start of the year 2011. The Governor was killed by his guard who claims to have done so because Salmaan Taseer called the blasphemy law as a black law.
The murderer is condemned in political circles but is being largely appreciated by general public in Pakistan. But certainly this is going to further tarnish Pakistans image abroad.
The issue is getting hot, and if handled carelessly, it can blow out of proportion and can push Pakistan into anarchy. One would like to agree with Ch Shujaat Hussains conclusion that instead of repealing the blasphemy law, we must bring another law removing the administrative lacunae how to implement it.
He is a seasoned politicians and knows the psychological effects of the law and the people who are highly sensitive to it. Rehman Maliks rhetoric that if anyone talks blasphemous against the Prophet in front of me, I would be the first to shoot him or her dead was though in the context of first confirming whether the blasphemy is actually committed, yet it gives wrong signal to the general public that yes if confirmed then the law can be taken into ones own hands.
Every member of our society is either extremist or at least silent fundamentalist. The love of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the basis of our faith. But we have to see how the Caliph Ali (RA) was assassinated on mere conspiracy of propaganda that he was (God forbid) involved in the assassination of Hazrat Usman (RA).
This has to be seen why the West is after us to check our sensitivities on such a high level, but this has also to be seen how we can bear all this with utmost resilience and wisdom, rather than going berserk and taking law into our hands. We are in turbulent times; we have to correct our barometers first.
SOBEA TABBASUM
Rawalpindi