Pakistan: Female Activist Pushes Back Against Blasphemy Charges With Legal Action of Her Own

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“It has set a precedent that if anyone tried to malign, threat[en], or use any other mode to harass and scare the women activists, then the consequences will be of serious nature.”

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Voice of America
By Nazrana Ghaffar | January 27, 2018

A female Pakistani rights activist has broken with tradition and set a precedent by seeking legal action against the person who accused her of violating the country’s anti-blasphemy laws.

Gulalai Ismail, founder of the Pakistan-based, nongovernment organization Aware Girls, was accused of insulting the religion of Islam, a charge she denies.

Hamza Khan, 23, a student from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, started a social media campaign against Gulalai, accusing her of “insulting religion and Pashtun culture.” He seemingly was unhappy with her role as an activist.

Khan, who claims to be the president of Mardan Youth Parliament, uploaded a 12-minute video on his Facebook page, November 20, 2017, in which he called for a mob to attack Gulalai for her alleged acts of blasphemy.

Fears for safety

Fearing for her security, Gulalai filed a case against Khan on November 21 with the country’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which led to Khan’s arrest this week after a Peshawar court issued a verdict against him.

Pakistani authorities intervened, and Facebook removed the video, in which Khan is heard saying that Gulalai must be “eliminated” to safeguard Islam.

Gulalai told VOA she wants to be a voice for those who have been wrongly accused.

“I wanted to set a precedent so that other human rights activists and other young women can speak out and can use their right to freedom of expression without the fear of being silenced in the name of religion,” she said.

Additional Sessions Judge Ayesha Arshad in Peshawar dismissed a bail application for Khan.

Seen as ‘daring’ decision

Some see the order that led to the arrest of Khan as a bold move by Arshad.

Noreen Naseer, a professor of political science at the University of Peshawar, credited Arshad for her “daring” decision.

“It has set a precedent that if anyone tried to malign, threat[en], or use any other mode to harass and scare the women activists, then the consequences will be of serious nature,” Naseer said.

Gulalai’s actions were also celebrated by other activists.





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