Pakistan: Clerics target PPP leader for ‘blasphemy’

...[S]he had nothing to do with the allegations levelled against her by the clerics. She acknowledged that Haji Nasir was one of her supporters in her constituency but said she had no frequent contacts with him.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Zee News | PTI
By PTI | July 5, 2011

Islamabad: Hardline Pakistani clerics have declared a senior leader of the ruling PPP and one of her supporters as blasphemers as they supported a Shia cleric who allegedly committed blasphemy.

The clerics from Muslimabad area of Lahore, including Mian Attiqur Rehman, Maulana Farmaan and Maulana Muhammad Haneef, organised a protest against Samina Khalid Ghurki, the president of the Lahore chapter of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and her supporter Haji Nasir outside Lahore Press Club on Monday.


They claimed Ghurki supported Shia cleric Zulfiqar Naqvi. The clerics further claimed that Naqvi recently delivered a sermon in an 'imambargah' or Shia prayer hall at the invitation of Haji Nasir.

They alleged Naqvi committed blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed and his followers during this sermon. The clerics claimed they asked the police to take action against Naqvi but this was not done as Ghurki was supporting the Shia cleric.

During yesterday's protest, one of the clerics said all blasphemers deserved death.

Another cleric praised Mumtaz Qadri, the police guard who assassinated Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer for opposing the blasphemy law, and asked all Muslims to follow in Qadri's footsteps.

The clerics also demanded the registration of cases against Ghurki, Haji Nasir and Naqvi under the blasphemy law.

Ghurki told the Daily Times newspaper that she was shocked to learn that some clerics had launched a hate campaign against her.

She said she had nothing to do with the allegations levelled against her by the clerics. She acknowledged that Haji Nasir was one of her supporters in her constituency but said she had no frequent contacts with him.

Ghurki also said that Haji Nasir and a cleric named Attiqur Rehman had a dispute over a plot of land in the area.

Rehman went to court over the case, she said. After failing to get a decision in his favour, Rehman was now using religion to settle scores against Haji Nasir, she alleged.

PTI

Read original post here: Pak clerics target PPP leader for ‘blasphemy’