Supreme Court: Debate on Blasphemy Law is Not Against Religion
Justice Khosa recently wrote an order to dismiss Mumtaz Qadri’s appeal against his death sentence. The apex court also insisted that the state is to make sure that no one is forced to be put through an investigation or trial on the basis of false blasphemy allegations.
The 39-page verdict written by Justice Khosa stated that Mumtaz Qadri had murdered Salman Taseer on the basis of nothing but hearsay. He also said that any request or call to reform religion-related laws does not constitute as blasphemy; instead, it suggests ways in which laws can be safeguarded from being abused.
“Any call for reforming the blasphemy law (Section 295-C Pakistan Penal Code) ought not to be mistaken as a call for doing away with that law and it ought to be understood as a call for introducing adequate safeguards against malicious application or use of that law by motivated person,” reads the judgment issued earlier this week by the apex court in the Salman Taseer murder case.
