LAHORE – Thousands of demonstrators responded to a call by the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-(TNS) Risalat (SAW) to rally from Nasir Bagh to Faisal Chowk on The Mall on Sunday to protest against government’s plans to amend blasphemy laws.
Demonstrators from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) held banners in support of Mumtaz Qadri – the police commando who shot dead former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. Leaders of the PML-N and PML-Q also addressed the rally.
Government officials claimed there were 40,000 participants in the procession, however, a JI spokesman put the count at 150,000 people.
Participants chanted slogans of “Free Mumtaz Qadri”, “We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the honour of Prophet Muhammad” and “Changes in blasphemy law not accepted”.
The recent killing of two Pakistani youths by US Consulate employee Raymond Davis was also on the protest agenda. “Hang to death Raymond Davis”, the demonstrators shouted. The enraged participants and speakers warned the government against setting Davis free under political pressure. The brothers of Faizan and Faheem, who were shot dead by Davis, also joined the protests.
A political expert said the Punjab government helped increase the size of the TNS rally to demonstrate the public backlash against the killing by the US national, whose immunity has been sought under the Vienna Convention. Addressing the rally, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said the Punjab government had not bowed to pressure exerted by the US ambassador for the release of Raymond Davis.
He strongly supported the TNS movement and vowed to resist any changes in the blasphemy laws. Other religious and political leaders who addressed the procession included JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan, JUI-S chief Samiul Haq, JUP chief Dr Abul Khair Azad, Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, PML-Z chief Ejazul Haq, Professor Sajid Mir and others.
The speakers said they would not tolerate any amendment to the blasphemy laws, whereas the release of Raymond Davis would also not be accepted. Fazlur Rehman said the rulers were “American agents” and they would not be able to save their power for long. He also warned the government of amending blasphemy laws, saying the movement had shown its power in Karachi and had now demonstrated its support in Lahore.
He said another rally would be staged in Peshawar on February 20. Parvez Elahi said a parliament that dared amend the blasphemy laws was highly condemnable and his party would be the first to quit such an assembly. Elahi said the rulers’ hypocrisy had been revealed in this “highly important issue”. He also assured the participants that he and his colleagues would leave no stone unturned to protect the blasphemy law in parliament and outside it.
JUP leader Zawar Bahadur criticised the killings of two youths at the hands of Raymond Davis and asked the government to oust the US ambassador from the country. JI chief Munawar Hassan said if parliament amended the blasphemy laws, neither the parliament, nor the government would remain in place.
