Fazl spells out two conditions: 'all parties are united to defend blasphemy law'

While laying down conditions to the government, Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said on Saturday that all religious and political parties were united to defend the blasphemy law. Speaking at a press conference at a local hotel Fazl said that all parties conference will be held at any cost on Sunday (today) in Karachi.
Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Munawar Hassan, Zubair Abul Khair, Ghafoor Haideri and other religious figures were present at the meeting, held to discuss the future line of action regarding the government move against amendment to blasphemy law. The first condition, Maulana said was that the government should drop the proposed private bill presented by one of the ruling PPP members in the National Assembly regarding amendment to blasphemy law.
The second, he said, the government should dissolve a committee formed to deal with blasphemy law cases, and transfer the sensitive issue to Council of Islamic Ideology. "If Mumtaz Qadri is an offender, why there was no law to try Salmaan Taseer for his act of blasphemy."
He said the government had created law and order situation deliberately in the city ahead of all parties' conference regarding protection of blasphemy law, adding that "The conference will take place at any cost as per schedule." Maulana expressed apprehensions over the security arrangements made by the government for the conference saying, "I am sensing danger and not satisfied with the government's security arrangements."
He said religious parties are not satisfied with the government assurances to withdraw the proposed bill, unless there was a practical step seen in this connection. He blamed the government of taking action against religious scholars and raiding religious schools particularly in Punjab and arresting clerics on the charges of links with Qadri.
"The government is pursuing an international agenda and under the US pressure whether it is a law amendment regarding the religious norms or military operation," Fazl said. The Maulana said only a united nation could save the country's sovereignty and its ideology. He said the meeting was also discussing the possibility of providing legal assistance to Mumtaz Qadri and in this regard a final decision would be announced at the conference.