Who says Zia-ul-Haq died a quarter century back; he is alive as long as Pakistan remains buried in the fall out of quagmire of America-USSR war in Afghanistan. His sell-out of Pakistan to act as surrogate-mother to facilitate those who fought inside Afghanistan with the help of Americans weaponry and dollars, has become a never-ending misery for Pakistanis.
One of his many evil doings includes 8th amendment in the constitution. Because of street power and nuisance value of religious parties, no government, whether civilian or military, was ever able to even touch this amendment. Even the much acclaimed 18th amendment, which enabled to restore much of the constitution to its original shape, failed to even discuss this legacy of Zia, let alone change/repel it. The said amendment made some far reaching changes in blasphemy law including death penalty for blasphemers.
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has now been discussing to award death penalty for false accusers. For some people this may be an attempt to make the law bit balanced; however, I don’t think any such amendment will make any difference on ground. It will be a wishful thinking that by this proposed amendment, misuse of blasphemy law will stop. Most of such cases are settled by mobs before reaching police and courts. Unless this mentality which allows murder as a religious duty/obligation is defeated, nothing will change.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arab