The incident at Abdul Wali Khan University is barbaric and no amount of condemnation can lessen the agony that the family of Mashal Khan is undergoing. It seems as if we are competing against the rest of the world in barbarity and leading the game. This is not the first case of rabid brutality; enough incidents of lynching or killing on blasphemy have happened in the country that should not have happened. Since 1990, more than 60 people accused of blasphemy have been murdered before their respective trials. When two years ago the Kot Radha Kishan incident happened, in which a young Christian couple was lynched on being accused of blasphemy and burnt in the brick kiln where they worked, it was an alarming bell for the state to tighten the blasphemy law and toughen the punishment for those who misuse it.
Pakistan Penal Code prohibits the blasphemy. However, there is a need to specify the law because when it comes to blasphemy many, acting self-custodian, take upon themselves the divine duty to kill with the erroneous satisfaction of being right. Somebody needs to preach them that in becoming what they call themselves true religious, they even cease becoming humans.
For blasphemy, there is a specified law to penalise the blasphemer after they are found guilty of blasphemy. If the state fails to stop people from becoming insensitively inhuman, we are giving the message to the world that we are most bigoted people despite being the followers of the best religion.
It is unfortunately rare that law enforcements come down to rescue the victims when it comes to killing on allegations of blasphemy. This incident has now thrown challenge to the writ of the state. The State has to curb the unbridled elements, punishing mercilessly to not only those who are involved but also those who act sympathetic to murderers.
Maheen Miandad
Karachi
