ISLAMABAD: There is a need to promote tolerance and coexistence in society. If incorporating blasphemy in the cybercrime law is necessary, religious minorities and their revered personalities should also be protected.

This was stated by Members National Assembly (MNAs) Shazia Marri and Ali Raza Abdi during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology on Tuesday.

At the start of the meeting, Chairman retired Capt Mohammad Safdar said it was the responsibility of all Muslims to play their role to stop blasphemy.

He said the Islamabad High Court and Lahore High Court in their judgments had already ordered action against elements involved in uploading blasphemous content on the social media besides making legislation.

“We will take ulema on board and will also request the judge who has directed to make legislation to give us time. We have to stop blasphemy on the social media at all costs,” he said.

However, Shazia Marri of the PPP said though no one tolerates blasphemy, the issue should be dealt with an utmost care.

“We have examples when Christians were killed for personal gains by using the name of blasphemy. On the other hand, there is a precedent that a judge offered to a Christian litigant that the decision can be given in his favour if he accepts Islam. We should give space to other religions,” she said.

“The cybercrime law was made against terror elements but we don’t know what progress has been made to check this menace so far. But the law is being used against suspects of blasphemy. Once the investigation starts into a blasphemy case the life of the suspect and their family is put in danger. We should be very careful regarding the issue,” she said.

Ms Marri said a Christian youth from Kasur was arrested on the charge of blasphemy after he retweeted a blasphemous tweet.

“He could have retweeted the blasphemous tweet by mistake. We should not make laws without analysing its repercussions,” she said.

About the case of Mashal Khan, Ms Marri said it should be made a test case as it had been proved that the allegation of blasphemy was used for killing two students though one of them was saved. She said misuse of blasphemy law should be stopped.

Ali Raza Abdi of the MQM said if it was necessary to make a law, section 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which says no one can speak against any religion, should also be included in it. Besides, there should be same punishment for a false blasphemy allegation.

“It is unfortunate that allegations of blasphemy are levelled without proof. On the other hand, people of one sect speak against the revered personalities of other sects. So the law should be made for people of all religions,” he said.

Four suspects arrested

The deputy director of the counterterrorism wing of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Noman Ashraf Bodla, informed the committee that since March 8 four people had been arrested for alleged blasphemy in Islamabad.

“Two of them were from Karachi, one from Rawalpindi and one from Jhang. One of the suspects was postgraduate and another graduate. Two of the suspects were interconnected,” he said.

“Three of the suspects were investigated for 29 days and one for 14 days. After that they were sent to jail on a judicial remand. The law is already there and when an FIR is registered both sections of the PPC and the cybercrime law are incorporated,” the official said.

In reply to a question about blasphemous content on the social media, Mr Bodla said the FIA had nothing to do with the blockade of websites as it only took legal action against suspects.

The committee decided to hold its next meeting in the FIA head office as the representative of the agency insisted for an in-camera meeting to reveal the identities of the suspects arrested in the blasphemy cases.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2017