Shamim Masih examines religious and minority suffering in
Pakistan using the Asia Bibi acquittal of her accused Blasphemy as a launching
point.
JRH 2/8/19
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Fair Trial
By SHAMIM MASIH
Sent: February 4,
2019 9:40 PM
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan, finally set aside
a review petition of a Christian woman Asia Bibi, accused of blasphemy, after
spent more than 8 years in prison. The decision is being warmly welcomed by
rights activists, local and international community. The judgement is unclear
about the action against those who falsely accused her of blasphemy and gave
false testimonies to mislead the court and public though. I’m not law expert
but the law teachers said that ‘for every wrong, the law provides a remedy’. He
who wrongs another is to be punished. But there are significant remarks by the
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) while grilling the petitioner’s lawyer.
All we can say is, ‘little drop of water in the mighty
ocean’. CJP Khosa rebuked the witness for lying
under oath, and added that they would have been jailed for life if the case
wasn’t so sensitive. But there is provision in law if Asia Bibi’s lawyer takes
up the issue and files a case against those who falsely accused her of
blasphemy, the courts would be morally bound to award a punishment to Asia’s
tormentors. But victims of blasphemy in Pakistan usually refrain from
challenging the false accusers even after they are acquitted.
The UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt though welcomes this judgement during his
launching speech on Persecution of Christians across the Globe independent
review. He said, ‘I think the news about Asia
Bibi this week is extremely encouraging, but the truth is that unless we make a
real effort and unless the world knows that we are making a real effort, those
bits of good news will become the exception and not the rule. And that’s what
we don’t want to allow to happen’. He also showed his concerns about the
persecution of Christians in Pakistan and said, ‘we particularly want to
look at the issue of Christian persecution’. The US has already conveyed the
concerns of the Christians persecution in Pakistan and Pakistan has been
denying it.
As citizens, we have reciprocal rights and responsibilities.
But in Pakistan, we have experienced that government always see the win-win
situation. In the late November, 2018 the Prime Minister Imran Khan laid foundation stone for Kartarpur Corridor.
The gesture is a breakthrough between two neighbouring countries and Pakistan
widely claimed as protecting minorities’ rights. Pakistan Foreign Office
Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal told the media in Islamabad before leaving for Kartarpur
that the opening of the Kartarpur border was the historic step for welfare of
minorities. ‘It shows that Pakistan takes care of minorities,’ he said.
Undoubtedly this is a significant move by the Pakistani
government, if the dream comes true as there are grievances from the both sides.
But if we see the govt. is playing and protecting minorities’ rights are only
slogans. A delegation of young Pakistani Catholics was prevented by government
officials from flying out of the country to join the Jan. 22-27 World Youth Day
in Pakistan. The Fides news agency reported that 14 young
Pakistani Catholics with regular visas who were about to fly out to join the
Catholic Church’s World Youth Day (WYD) in Panama were blocked at Lahore
airport by Pakistan’s Department for Immigration Office. World Youth Day is an
event for young people organized by the Catholic Church, which was initiated by
Pope John Paul 2 in 1985. It is religious gathering and being organised every
year by the Catholic Church.
The threatening letter to Churches issued by the local government
is a clear violation of the Constitution of the country but also violating the
international obligations. The Punjab government issued letter on January 02,
2019 saying to take all security
arrangements and concerned departments are also directed to close/seal the
Churches if in case failure of compliance of directives. While in the
Constitution, the state is responsible to safe guard the rights and worship
places of the minorities. Article 20 does not merely
confer a private right to profess but confers a right to practice both
privately and publicly. The state shall safeguard the legitimate rights and
interests of minorities and the ultimate goal of the state should be to
eradicate religious intolerance in Pakistan.
The sad reality is that such a policy exits on paper only. Religious and ethnic minorities continue to
suffer discrimination. This continues despite the constitutional
obligation to protect the life, property and worship places of all citizens
regardless of their caste, ethnicity, religion or gender. The state plays the
role of the bystander when human rights abuses occur at the hands of the
powerful majority groups.
Minorities have regularly been hoodwinked into believing
that their rights shall be guaranteed and protected by the state. The state
shall safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities and the
ultimate goal of the state should be to eradicate religious intolerance in
Pakistan. Ends/
Be Blessed,
Shamim Masih
Diplomatic Correspondents
Daily Jinnah [Urdu]
Journalist, Blogger and Social Reformer
+92-300-642-4560
[Blog Editor: Shamim also does Christian activism in
Pakistan. It can be dangerous work in Islamic Pakistan. Please consider a
contribution. The last I heard services like PayPal are not supported in
Pakistan. The Western Union is a good way to send money which will transfer
into Pakistan Rupee - https://www.westernunion.com/us/en/send-money.html;
Shamim Masih; Islamabad; +92-300-642-4560.
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Edited by John R. Houk
Source links supplied by the Editor.
© Shamim Masih
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