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| India-Pakistan |
| Ulema to probe abuse of blasphemy laws |
| 2011-01-16 |
| [Pak Daily Times] Former federal minister Haji Hanif Tayyab said on Saturday that a 10-member committee would be formed to look into the cases pertaining to the misuse of blasphemy law. Talking to news hounds, he said the committee members would consist of two religious scholars from five major schools of thought in the city. He said the decision to form a committee was taken during a meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan at the National Crisis Management Cell. He said the committee would consult with all religious leaders on the law to remove misconceptions in this regard. Tayyab dispelled the impression that the committee had been formed to amend the blasphemy laws. "The rumours that the committee has been formed to amend the blasphemy law are baseless," he said, adding that the committee is being constituted to determine whether the accused had insulted Islam or not. "No innocent person will be punished," he added. All the rumours regarding the amendment in the blasphemy law are false and incorrect, he asserted. Commenting on tabling of an amendment bill in the National Assembly, he said former minister Sherry Rehman's bill regarding the amendment in the blasphemy law was not tabled. He said there would be no chairman of the committee. Shah Turabul Haq, Asad Thanvi, Qari Usman, Shahid Ghauri, Tariq Mehboob, Yousuf Salfi, Mufti Naeem, Abbas Kumaili, Maulana Yaqoob Atari and Faheem Babar Atari attended the meeting. Civil society activists say the blasphemy laws are often used to settle rivalries or persecute religious minorities. Earlier this month, a bodyguard killed Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer because he opposed the laws. The formation of committee was a sign that the government wanted to soften international criticism of the laws. |
| Posted by:Fred |