DERA GHAZI KHAN – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday reiterated that the government had no plans to amend the blasphemy laws.
“Neither did we plan to do that nor will we be planning to amend the blasphemy law,” the prime minister said while addressing a gathering of people after inaugurating the sub-campuses of the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) at the AIOU office.
Gilani said those who were saying that a committee had been formed to amend the blasphemy law were wrong, adding that no such committee was formed. However, a committee at the party level was formed to discuss proposed legislations moved by MNAs and this committee had rejected amendments in the blasphemy law, he added.
The prime minister said, “I cannot think of amending the blasphemy law.” He, however, said “We believe that no law should be misused.”
Gilani said those circulating rumours of amendments in the blasphemy law were merely wasting their time and instead they should come together to help the government overcome challenges, including unemployment, terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and work for strengthening institutions and the rule of law.
He said the present government had buried politics of vengeance and laid the foundations for “politics of reconciliation”.
“However, those who think politics of reconciliation is the government’s weakness are wrong,” the prime minister said.
He said by virtue of politics of reconciliation, the government registered landmark achievements, which, even a party having strong majority could not have accomplished.
He mentioned the passage of the 18th Amendment and 19th Amendment bill, autonomy to provinces, National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and empowerment of women as some of the major achievements.
