HRCP alarmed by surge in blasphemy cases against Shia community

HRCP alarmed by surge in blasphemy cases against Shia community as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a statement in this regard on September 05, 2020.

The HRCP expressed grave concern at the recent surge in blasphemy cases being registered against sectarian and religious minorities, particularly the Shia Muslim community, and the potential for ensuing sectarian violence.

HRCP alarmed by surge in blasphemy cases

Anecdotal evidence suggests that over 40 such cases may have been registered under the blasphemy laws in the last month alone.

HRCP believes that the state has effectively abdicated its responsibilities under international human rights law by leaving those accused of blasphemy to the mercy of mobs, or trials that are marred by glaring legal and procedural flaws.

It is well established that in most cases, those accused of blasphemy are eventually acquitted on appeal, but often after protracted periods in custody and trials that risk the lives of the accused, their lawyers and judges at the hands of organized far-right groups.

HRCP demands that the state uphold all citizens’ right to freedom of religion or belief.

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The police must also refrain from registering blasphemy cases so promptly, knowing full well the sensitive implications of doing so when such complaints are often fabricated and spurred on by personal vendettas.

On the other hand, independent analysts have been drawing attention of incessant violation of constitutionally-guaranteed rights of Shia Muslim citizens of Pakistan.

They said in theory, the state of Pakistan has outlawed, banned and proscribed takfiri terrorist outfits but in practice the State institutions themselves host and honour ringleaders of outlawed militant outfits.

Deobandi takfiri terrorist cleric Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi

They gave an example of outlawed Sipah Sahaba (ASWJ) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s ringleaders such as Deobandi takfiri terrorist cleric Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi who enjoys complete state-protocol.

His visit to North Waziristan’s military sites in 2019 had stunned the entire Pakistani nation but power that be damns care rule of law. Now on August 23, 2020, notorious Ludhianvi has publicly claimed Deobandi clerics at Darul Uloom Deoband India had approved Shia kafir campaign in Pakistan in October 1986.

Since then, the state has not taken any sort of action against Ludhianvi but instead they diverted attention from that statement by encouraging takfiris against Shia Muslim citizens of Pakistan.

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