Human rights activists, including Ansar Burney, have called for the release of 11-year-old Rimsha Masih who has been charged with burning a Noorani Qaida in Islamabad.
“This case is a glaring example of how the blasphemy laws are misused,” said Pakistan People’s Party Central Coordinator Dr Nafisa Shah. She said the administration should have first investigated the matter before detaining the girl, who is suffering from Down Syndrome. Shah said that all political parties and religious leaders must come together to find a solution to this issue which is creating insecurity among the minorities. “It is important to build consensus and recognize that there is a need to find ways to prevent such incidents where poor and disadvantaged communities are falsely charged,” she said.
The PPP Human Rights Cell proposed that in any such event, the law must allow leadership of religious communities and district administration to jointly inquire into the matter before registration of the complaint and arrest.
Separately, Ansar Burney, chairman of Ansar Burney Trust International, demanded Rimsha’s immediate release.
Burney said that scores of Pakistanis have been harassed and implicated in false cases instituted by misusing the country’s blasphemy laws. “Additionally, allegations of blasphemy have led to assassinations, extrajudicial killings and threats to life and property,” he added.
Human rights activists call for end to misuse of blasphemy law
