ISLAMABAD – The ignorance of religious parties’ heads is evident from the fact that they have been demanding the abolition of that ‘special committee on the blasphemy law’ which does not even exist.
Clerics and heads of religious parties are continuously pushing the government to disband the committee “formed on President Asif Zardari’s directions and is tasked to propose amendments in the existing blasphemy law under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti”. The fact however, remains, that no such committee has been formed so far.
In accordance with the president’s directions, the Ministry of Minorities Affairs had initiated work on the formation of a broad-based special committee, having representation of all stakeholders, to review the blasphemy law but the task, according to a source in the ministry, could not be accomplished due to religious scholars’ refusal to work under Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti.
The proposed committee had to be formed under the chairmanship of Bhatti. The president had asked him to propose names of scholars and experts to recommend reformed procedures to effectively prevent the misuse of the law for personal and political reasons on November 25.
The heads of religious parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and the Sunni Tehreek raised a hue and cry on the proposed committee and their opposition towards Bhatti’s committee turned ferocious after Salmaan Taseer’s assassination. However, sources in the Presidency and the Ministry of Minorities Affairs told Pakistan Today that the committee had not been formed yet.
The religious leaders have been demanding the government abolish the committee in the recent protest demonstrations organised by the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat and the Sunni Tehreek.
The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which met in Rawalpindi the other day with Sahibzada Fazal Karim in the chair, also demanded the government abolish the committee which according to the SIC was working under the minorities affairs minister to amend the blasphemy law.
When asked, a government official said, “The delay in the constitution of the committee does not mean that the plan has been aborted.”
Talking to Pakistan Today, the minister for minorities said the committee had not been formed yet but its formation was under process.
“The proposed committee was not supposed to recommend amendments in the existing blasphemy law, rather it had to carry out consultations with various strata of society on the abuse of the law,” he added.
“With formation of the committee, the government wants to define the future course of action… about how to stop the misuse of the blasphemy law. It will not propose amendments in the existing law,” he said, adding that Fazlur Rehman and his party, the JUI-F, was politicising the issue for his vested interests.
The minister said such tactics of religious parties had terrorised people and they were unwilling to discuss even the abuse of the law. “I am not against the blasphemy law. I just want legislation to stop its abuse. This was the reason that I did not move any private member bill in the House against the existing law,” he added.
Meanwhile, challenging the authority of the president to give such directions to a minister, Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami said, “After the passage of the 18th Amendment, the president cannot pass such executive orders and it is the job of the prime minister, his cabinet and the Law Ministry to take decisions in this regard.”
