Pakistan’s blasphemy laws don’t protect religious harmony

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There have been about 1,400 blasphemy cases since the laws were first enacted in 1986, according to Human Rights Watch. There are more than 15 cases of people on death row for blasphemy in Pakistan, and 52 people have been killed while facing trial for the charge, according to the organization.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Pakistan Christian Post
By PCP / Shamim Masih | December 2, 2012

ISLAMABAD: December 2, 2012. Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, 20th November, 2012 dismissed blasphemy charges against Rimsha, a Christian teenager girl whose case prompted international outrage.

Islamabad High Court found that the accusations against her were legally unsound, said Abdul Hameed Rana, one of the Rimsha’s lawyers. She is free woman now, like any other Pakistani citizen, he added.

Now that her case is dismissed, it still remains unclear what kind of life she might be able to have, given the accusations she faced. Int’l NGOs in the United States, Italy, Canada and even UK have offered the teenager and her family a home outside Pakistan, a family representative said.

She spoke to CNN in September from an undisclosed location after she was released on bail and said; “I’m scared, I’m afraid of anyone who might kill us”. She denied that she defiled the Quran. She said she was happy to be with her family, but feared for her life.

National and international Christians welcome the court’s ruling made under considerable pressure and international scrutiny.

There have been about 1,400 blasphemy cases since the laws were first enacted in 1986, according to Human Rights Watch. There are more than 15 cases of people on death row for blasphemy in Pakistan, and 52 people have been killed while facing trial for the charge, according to the organization.

What would be the future of those people.



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