Pakistan: The Pakistani government has decided to try blasphemy suspects on terrorism charges in addition to other sections of the country’s penal code in order to appease the demands of a hardline Islamist party. At Sarai Alamgir, Gujrat district, around 200 km from Lahore, the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) ended their 25-day march protest on Saturday after agreeing to a deal with the federal government, which is governed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Swift Trials and Counter Blasphemy Wing Established in Response to TLP’s Demands
Rana Sanaullah, the federal interior minister, claimed that the government had acceded to “all legitimate” TLP demands, including those relating to blasphemy legislation. The federal government agreed to book anyone suspected of blasphemy and charged under Section 295-C (use of disparaging language, etc., in regard of the Holy Prophet) of the Pakistan Penal Code under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, as part of a 12-point agreement made on Saturday with the TLP. Additionally, the accused of blasphemy will be given a swift trial. A Counter Blasphemy Wing (CBW) will be created within the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the first time, according to Sanaullah, who also pledged that the government would take action to remove blasphemous content on social media.
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Clearing TLP’s Terrorist Label and Easing Restrictions in Exchange for Dropping Political Cases
According to the Dawn daily, the federal government decided to produce a letter stating that the TLP was not a terrorist organisation, giving the extreme Islamic party political capital. The government has agreed to drop all political cases brought against TLP members and leaders in exchange for lifting the restriction on broadcast and social media coverage of the TLP. According to Sanaullah, the federal government will provide orders to provincial governments for the freedom of movement of TLP leaders whose names have been removed from the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Amnesty International claims that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are frequently applied to people who belong to religious minorities and other groups who have been falsely accused. The blasphemy suspects will be more exposed when terrorism charges are added.
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