Source/Credit: The News Int'l | Pakistan
By The News | December 6, 2010
Updated by Ahmadiyya Times | Dec. 6
LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) issued stay orders preventing any amendment in Blasphemy law until the judicial ruling is finally out, Geo News reported Monday.
The petition filed by a citizen Muhammed Nasir challenging the potential amendments in Blasphemy law. The petition pleaded the court that the Parliament has no right to amend the Blasphemy law; but, the attempt in this regard is afoot that the Law is altered under international pressure,
The LHC Chief Justice Khawja Muhammed Sharif said the Law could not be presented at the National Assembly floor till the court decides a case on the topic.
During the initial hearing, the government prosecutor assured the court that amendment bill for the Blasphemy Law would not be tabled until the court for once gave its ruling in this regard.
The court issued notices to the federal government for December 23.
[Update]
The country has been extraordinarily polarized on the issue of blasphemy and proposed changes in the laws that deal with those accused of the blasphemous actions.
Members and some party leaders of Pakistan Muslim League(N) (PML-N) has been at the forefront in Punjab in critisizing any efforts to make changes to the Blasphemy Law.
On the other hand, the leadership in the ruling party, PPP has yet to get their stance straight on the proposed changes in blasphemy laws. The party is inundated with other issues such as Wikileaks and corruption charges.
In the judiciary circles, Justice Khawja Muhammed Sharif himself has a long association with PML-N and has been criticized for his political statements which are considered against the code of conduct of a judge. He also acclaimed criticism for his open favors to the party and party leaders. [Source: Wikipedia]
In the media, recently, a pro-PML-N Urdu daily newspaper of Pakistan, Nawa-i Waqt, threw its weights behind the cleric who putout a contract on the life of Aasia Bibi, a Christian women sentenced to death on blasphemy charges.
The paper published a column in its pages declaring the cleric a 'leader of the pious' for his offer of Rs.500,000 ($6000) reward to anyone who will kill Aasia Bibi, in case courts or politicians decid to spare her life.
In contrast, a popular English daily newspaper of Pakistan, The News International published an editorial calling for the mullah's arrest and criminal prosecution for inciting violence and killings.
Several other English newspapers of Pakistan, Daily Times, The Express Tribune, Daily Dawn; to name a few, has been publishing columns and editorializing from progressive point of view on the blasphemy laws issue.
-- Updated by Ahmadiyya Times
Read original post here: Lahore High Court stays Blasphemy law amendment
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.