Pakistan’s new blasphemy legal guidelines could also be ‘weaponised’ in opposition to minorities, says rights group

Pakistan has additional strengthened its already harsh blasphemy legal guidelines, triggering fears amongst rights activists that the brand new laws could result in elevated persecution of non secular minorities like Hindus and Christians within the Muslim-majority nation.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 26, 2023 14:36 IST

Human rights activists have expressed deep concern over the tightening of blasphemy legal guidelines in Pakistan.

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan has additional strengthened its already harsh blasphemy legal guidelines to punish anybody convicted of insulting individuals related to Prophet Muhammad.

The Pakistan National Assembly unanimously handed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023 final week, enhancing the minimal punishment for many who insult the revered personalities of Islam from three to 10 years together with a high quality of Rs 1 million. It additionally makes the cost of blasphemy an offence for which bail just isn’t potential.

This newest piece of laws has left human rights activists alarmed, as they concern the legal guidelines could be misused to settle scores and additional persecute non secular minorities like Hindus and Christians in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s blasphemy legal guidelines carry a possible dying sentence for anybody who insults Islam and its founder, Prophet Muhammad. The legal guidelines have additionally been used to focus on minority faiths within the Muslim-majority nation.

READ | Pakistan court docket upholds dying sentence of Christian brothers in blasphemy case

Expressing deep concern over the tightening of blasphemy legal guidelines, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Hina Jilani stated, “While the stated aim of this bill is to curb sectarianism, HRCP believes it is likely to exacerbate the persecution of Pakistan’s beleaguered religious minorities and minority sects.”

Making blasphemy a non-bailable offence straight violates the constitutionally assured proper to private liberty beneath Article 9, the HRCP stated.

“Given Pakistan’s troubled record of the misuse of such laws, these amendments are likely to be weaponised disproportionately against religious minorities and sects, resulting in false FIRs, harassment and persecution,” it stated.

The human rights physique stated that growing the penalty for alleged blasphemy will worsen misuse of the legislation to settle private vendetta. It can also be feared that it’s going to improve mob lynchings of these accused of blasphemy.

“At a time when civil society has been calling for amendments to these laws to prevent their abuse, strengthening this punishment will do the exact opposite,” it stated.

READ MORE | What is blasphemy? Why is the thought at odds with rule of legislation?

PAKISTAN’S STRICT BLASPHEMY LAWS

Offences regarding faith had been first codified by India’s British rulers in 1860, and had been expanded in 1927. Pakistan inherited these legal guidelines when it got here into existence after the partition of India in 1947.

In the Nineteen Eighties, the blasphemy legal guidelines had been expanded by the addition of quite a few clauses by the navy authorities of General Zia-ul Haq.

The strictest amongst these new legal guidelines really helpful that blasphemy in opposition to the Prophet Muhammad needs to be punishable by “death, or imprisonment for life”, in that order.

Edited By:

Devika Bhattacharya

Published On:

Jan 26, 2023