If blasphemy law is so important for Muslims, then why it is not in any other country except Pakistan - Archbishop Lawrence J. Saldanha

Lahore: October 27, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)

Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha has asked if blasphemy law is so important for Muslims, then why it is not in any other country except Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference held by the Pakistan Christian Action Forum (PCAF) at the Lahore Press Club, Lawrence John said that the true culprits of the Gojra incident had not been apprehended due to political allegiances, despite the face that they were specifically named by the victims. He said that the government had not even bothered to share the report of the investigation committee with the Christian community representatives.

He said the Christian community had the utmost regard and respect for the religious values of the Muslims. He said that the reason for which the minorities felt insecure due to the blasphemy law was that it did not define the offence in particular and its vague definitions had led to the brutal assassination of the innocent.

The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) executive secretary, Peter Jacob, said the government should make all necessary arrangements to repeal all laws encouraging crime and discrimination, especially the blasphemy laws. He said that the cold blooded murder of minorities under the umbrella of such discriminatory laws was against the principles of a democratic state which vows freedom and rights of all religions at equality.

The PCAF demanded the government make serious and credible efforts to protect the life and property of religious minorities in Pakistan. Demanding all sectarian, religious specific discriminatory material from the educational syllabi, the PCAF called for educational reforms in this regard.

It also demanded that the media should provide space to the minorities to form a truly pluralistic society with democratic values so that distributive social and judicial inequalities could be eliminated and the minorities could enjoy jobs in the public sector. Moderator Church of Pakistan bishop Samuel Robert, Firdaus Margaret Chaudhry, Father Emmanuel Yousaf and Advocate Naeem Shakir Chaudhry were also present.