Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seeks to protect, preserve Blasphemy Act

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution calling on the federal government to avoid making any kind of possible, proposed change, or annulment of the sensitive Blasphemy Act. The joint resolution, moved by the Kifayatullah of JUI-F carried the signatures of Abdul Akbar Khan, Bashir Ahmad Bilour, Iftikhar Hussein ANP, Sabir Shah, Mohammad Qasim Khattak, Dr Iqbal Din Fana, Said Janan, Israrullah Khan Gandapore, Mohammad Ali Khan and minority MPA Kishwar Kumar.
According to the text of the joint resolution, it was stated that the house is getting the honour of recommending to the federal government for avoiding any possible, proposed, changes, amendment or cancellation of the sensitive law like Blasphemy Act. It said that as blasphemy had always remained a very sensitive matter for the Muslims and particularly in the prevailing uncertain situation and the terrorism, social disparity, unemployment and price hike require the unity of all political and religious parties to overcome these problems of the people. Therefore, it said that any amendment in the blasphemy law should be avoided.
The provincial legislature further demanded of the federal government that the head of the committee related to the law should also be not a non-Muslim to implement it in letter and spirit. Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan, Advocate, who was presiding over the proceedings of the house, put the resolution to vote and the house adopted it unanimously. Through another unanimously passed resolution the house called for guaranteeing implementation of the law for the abolition of the tradition of Swara in the province. The resolution was moved by Zarqa Bibi of JUI-F.
The text of the resolutions contains that under the Swara tradition innocent women and girls are punished for the deeds not committed by them and they are treated like culprits, turning their lives miserable. The provincial assembly, she said, recommended to the provincial government to guarantee strict implementation of the law made for the purpose of the abolition of the tradition.
The Minister for Information, Iftikhar Hussein supported the resolution and said that the problem is complicated issue and should be taken seriously. He said that women/girls are married to other families in the name of ending enmities, but it had never helped in abolishing it, rather flaring it. He said that the tradition is against both the constitution and the Islamic Shariah.
"The tradition is a menace and should be brought to an end. He said that the treasury benches are fully supporting the resolution. Dr Iqbal Din Fana, another legislator of JUI-F also spoke in support of the resolution. The third resolution adopted unanimously was of Akhtar Ali regarding the connecting of the villages Mian Khan, Sangaho, Khoi Burmol and Peepal from Dargai subdivision with the temporary Wapda Sub-Division Katlung and giving it permanent status.
The resolution of the Pervez Khan of ANP for the dissolution of the two Farmers Organisations (FOs) of the Chowki Rajian, Pir Sabaq and Misri Banda minors to hand over their affairs to the Department of Irrigation was also passed unanimously. The resolution of Kifayatullah for increase in the salaries of the clerks, superintendents, registrars and peons of the department of police was dropped after majority members of the house rejected it.