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PAKISTAN
Christians unhappy with blasphemy lawCite switch in leader’s position
Christians and moderate Muslims have said they are disappointed at the political flip-flop of General Pervez Musharraf, who first announced plans to change the country’s blasphemy laws, and then abandoned his position in the face of opposition from militant Muslims.
On May 17 General Musharraf—who came to power in a coup last October 12—called for a change in the procedure of registering a case of blasphemy under the existing Islamic Shari’a law, which applies in mainly Muslim Pakistan. Under the terms of the proposed new legislation, anyone with a blasphemy grievance had to register a complaint, called a First Information Report, with the area District Commissioner (DC), instead of with the local police chief. Christians—who are frequently the target of blasphemy charges—had seen the change as a positive step; under the current provisions of the law, local police chiefs often come under heavy pressure from Muslim groups if they do not take action against alleged blasphemers. However, Islamic groups threatened to hold protest rallies and organize strikes if the law was changed, and the government retracted its proposal.
Christians have strongly criticized the General’s move. M. L. Shahani, a Christian former judge of the Sindh High Court, said: “The change was only a cosmetic one in the first place.” He argued that if the nation’s top leaders succumbed so easily to Muslim pressures, district commissioners would be even easier targets. Cecil Chaudhry, leader of the Christian Liberation Front, said the proposed change had been only a minor one, and his group had not favored it. Still, Chaudhry said that General Musharraf’s decision was very disappointing: “Although we had not accepted the change and continued to demand the total repeal of the Blasphemy Law, the way the General withdrew the change under pressure from the extremist Mullahs was deplorable.”