'Shameful': Former Pak President Zardari takes note of blasphemy charge against female security officer

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 8 (ANI): Former Pakistan President and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday took notice of an incident at the Karachi airport where a female security officer belonging to a minority community was threatened by a man with a blasphemy charge, reported Pakistan's The News International newspaper.

According to Zardari, it was shameful to accuse a female security officer of blasphemy in order to prevent her from performing her duties.

Zardari, according to the report, asked the Pakistan government to provide security to the female officer. He said the accused should be punished if the accusations against the female security officer turn out to be false.

"Accusing someone of blasphemy is a very serious matter," Zardari said, as quoted by The News International newspaper. The blasphemy allegations should be investigated, he said.

According to Zardari, some elements want to defame Pakistan under the guise of religion and the government and people should discourage such behaviour," the former President was quoted as saying in the report.

Recently, The Nation, a Lahore-based daily, reported that law enforcement agencies in Pakistan are tightening the noose on blasphemers on social media and arresting people allegedly involved in such activity.

Sixty-two people involved in blasphemy cases have been detained, The Nation reported.

Of the arrested blasphemers, nine have been awarded capital punishment by courts. None of the involved in these cases has been let off on bail, The Nation reported, quoting tentative statistics.

Joseph Jansen, chairperson of the rights group Voice for Justice said the existing blasphemy laws do not guarantee a fair trial and religious freedom, and the accuser enjoyed impunity despite presenting false evidence and false testimony, the newspaper said.

Jansen noted that Pakistan's blasphemy laws were incompatible with international human rights standards.

"The accuser, who levels blasphemy allegations against any person, is bound to prove malicious intent, but this stipulation is missing in legislation and is not taken into account during blasphemy trials," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn. (ANI)