Provincial President of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) Mufti Hidayatullah Pasroori has strongly condemned Pope Benedict's demand for repealing the Blasphemy Law terming it an open interference in Pakistan's internal and religious affairs. He said Pope's assertion had exposed the west's evil designs against the Blasphemy Law and spread a wave of hatred and anguish among the Muslims all over the world.
The JUP leader said the Pakistani nation would not allow any tampering with the law protecting the sanctity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the centre of their love and devotion. He said the mass rally in Karachi on this issue on Sunday should serve a warning to the rulers against any amendment or repeal of the Blasphemy Law under US dictation. If the rulers made such an attempt, they would not only lose power, but would not find shelter anywhere in this country, and even Washington would not come to their rescue in such a situation, he added.
It may be recalled that Pope Benedict XVI on Monday called on Pakistan to scrap the country's blasphemy law as part of a strongly worded defence of Christians living in majority Muslim countries. "I once more encourage the leaders of that country to take the necessary steps to abrogate that law," the leader of the world's one billion Catholics said in a traditional New Year's address to ambassadors to the Vatican.
"The tragic murder of the governor of Punjab shows the urgent need to make progress in this direction," he said, adding that the law against blasphemy was an example of "norms prejudicing the right to religious freedom". He demanded that governments in predominantly Muslim countries do much more to protect minority Christians from violent attacks. In his address, the pope also condemned anti-Christian attacks in Egypt and Iraq.
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