<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" version="2.0"><channel>
                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
                        <atom:link href="https://tribune.com.pk/feed/blasphemy" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>
                        <link>https://tribune.com.pk/feed/blasphemy</link>
                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
                        <lastBuildDate>Mon, 01 Jun 26 03:18:51 +0500</lastBuildDate>
                        <language>en-US</language>
                        <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
                        <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
                        <generator>https://laravel.com/</generator><item>
			<title>CoryxKenshin urges Netflix and Mappa to adapt his manga into an anime</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2516458/coryxkenshin-urges-netflix-and-mappa-to-adapt-his-manga-into-an-anime</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2516458/coryxkenshin-urges-netflix-and-mappa-to-adapt-his-manga-into-an-anime#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 24 20:10:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Pop Culture &amp; Art]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2516458</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[YouTube star CoryxKenshin calls on Netflix and Mappa to adapt his manga, 'Monsters We Make,' into an anime.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[YouTube sensation CoryxKenshin has returned after a nearly two-year hiatus, unveiling his ambitious new project, a manga titled Monsters We Make. Known for his engaging content, Cory is now aiming to bring his story to life on screen by collaborating with leading animation studios.

The creator uploaded a video on December 13, announcing his comeback and the manga&#39;s release, which catapulted him to YouTube&rsquo;s Trending page. In a follow-up video on December 16, Cory revealed his &ldquo;ultimate goal&rdquo; &mdash; securing an anime adaptation for Monsters We Make.

Cory directly addressed top-tier studios, including Netflix, Crunchyroll, and MAPPA, renowned for their work on Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan. He encouraged them to seize the opportunity, emphasizing his belief in the manga&rsquo;s potential. &ldquo;I do feel Monsters We Make will be special,&rdquo; Cory said. &ldquo;Netflix, Crunchyroll &mdash; Mappa, I&rsquo;m looking at you. Whoever wants to come put in their bids, do it early. I think I have something.&rdquo;

The YouTuber stressed the importance of proving fan interest and urged viewers to support the manga by purchasing a copy. He also teased an undisclosed new project in development, further fueling excitement among his fanbase.

This isn&rsquo;t Cory&rsquo;s first major venture outside YouTube. He previously appeared in Blumhouse&rsquo;s Five Nights at Freddy&rsquo;s movie, showcasing his versatility as a content creator.

With Monsters We Make, CoryxKenshin is setting his sights high, aiming to leave a mark on the anime industry.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/cory1734112394-0/cory1734112394-0.png" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Key suspects in Swat mob attack arrested</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2474388/key-suspects-in-swat-mob-attack-arrested</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2474388/key-suspects-in-swat-mob-attack-arrested#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 24 22:54:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Ehtesham Khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2474388</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police say the number of those arrested rises to 30]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Police arrested the three main accused involved in the killing of a person after accusing him of committee blasphemy in tourist resort of Madyan in the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last week, the district police officer confirmed on Wednesday.

The Swat DPO said that so far, 30 people had been arrested for being part of the mob that attacked and torched the police station, killed the blasphemy suspect and dragged his body through the streets of the town on June 20.

&ldquo;There have been 30 arrests so far, including three main suspects, over the killing of a tourist in Madyan,&rdquo; the DPO said, while dilating on the progress in the investigation into the incident.

He identified the three main suspects as Yasir, Ghafran and Qari Inamur Rehman.

On Thursday, some people caught the suspect, accusing him of blasphemy. The suspect was later handed over to the police, who locked him up in the local police station. Later, thousands of people gathered outside the police station, demanding that the police hand over the suspect to them.

On refusal, a fierce exchange of fire took place between the local people and the police.

Later, the people entered the police station and killed the suspect and dragged his body to the Madyan Ada. The people also set the police station and police vehicles on fire.

The DPO said that those who would take the law into their own hands did not deserve any leniency. &ldquo;The process of identification of all those involved in the mob attack is ongoing and they will be brought to justice very soon,&rdquo; he added.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/swat-blashphemy-mob-lynching-screengrab1719068248-0/swat-blashphemy-mob-lynching-screengrab1719068248-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>23 arrested over Swat mob lynching</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473434/23-arrested-over-swat-mob-lynching</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473434/23-arrested-over-swat-mob-lynching#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jun 24 22:48:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2473434</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police say no political figures were involved in mob attack]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Peshawar police with the help of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Special Branch arrested another 17 individuals on Sunday, linked to the killing incident of a man accused of blasphemy in the Swat district last week.

Authorities were already investigating to identify and arrest members of the mob that beat a man to death in the tourist resort of Madyan on Thursday night after accusing him of blasphemy. The mob had also set the police station in the area ablaze.

Graphic videos of the latest incident showed a frenzied mob dragging a naked and bloodied body through the streets, and then setting it on fire. The footage went viral on social media and sparked outcry amongst Pakistani users.

A 10-member joint investigation team (JIT), monitored by Malakand division&rsquo;s deputy inspector general (DIG) of police and including officials from the CTD, Special Branch and other senior police officers, was formed to probe the incident.

The case involves approximately 2,000 individuals, and their identification would be confirmed by cellular data and the NADRA.

So far, the police have rounded up 23 suspects from different tehsils of Swat. Police said that preliminary investigation reports indicated that no political or high-ranking figures were present at the scene.

&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/swat-blashphemy-mob-lynching-screengrab1719068248-0/swat-blashphemy-mob-lynching-screengrab1719068248-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>17 more arrested in Swat mob lynching incident</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473244/17-more-arrested-in-swat-mob-lynching-incident</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2473244/17-more-arrested-in-swat-mob-lynching-incident#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jun 24 06:27:48 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2473244</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[23 suspects have so far been arrested as police continue crackdown]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Peshawar police with the help of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Special Branch arrested another 17 individuals linked to the killing incident of a man accused of blasphemy in Swat.

Following today&#39;s arrest, the number of detainees has reached 23. The action against the suspects was taken in different tehsils of Swat.

Authorities have already begun an investigation to identify and arrest members of the mob that beat a man to death on Thursday night after accusing him of burning pages of the Holy Qur&#39;an.

The mob had also set the police station in the area ablaze and injured eight policemen, Malakand division&#39;s regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur told Reuters.

Graphic videos of the latest incident showed a frenzied mob dragging a naked and bloodied body through the streets, and then setting it on fire. The footage went viral on social media and sparked outcry amongst Pakistani users.

The 10-member JIT, comprising officials from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch, and senior police officers, monitored by Malakand Division Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police was formed to probe the incident.

The case involves approximately 2,000 individuals, and their identification will be aided by cellular data and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Preliminary investigation reports indicate that no political or high-ranking figures were present at the scene.

Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday during the National Assembly session raised the issue of the recent lynching of a man in Swat, condemning the harrowing incident and drawing the lawmakers&rsquo; attention to the problem of misusing religion to carry out &ldquo;street justice&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Setting somebody on fire after killing them is unacceptable,&rdquo; the minister told the House, emphasising that Islam did not permit the desecration of anybody&rsquo;s body.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/swat-blashphemy-mob-lynching-screengrab1719068248-0/swat-blashphemy-mob-lynching-screengrab1719068248-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Blasphemy suspect shot dead inside police station</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2472702/blasphemy-suspect-shot-dead-inside-police-station</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2472702/blasphemy-suspect-shot-dead-inside-police-station#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 24 04:54:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2472702</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Mob sets police station, vehicles on fire in Madyan hill resort]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[An enraged mob in the hill resort of Madyan in the Swat district on Thursday gunned down a tourist inside a police station on allegations of committing blasphemy and dragged his body through the town and hanged him.

The mob also torched the police station, forcing the cops on duty to flee for their lives. They also torched the police vehicles parked there. More police force was called to restore order in the popular tourist destination.

The suspect, later identified as Muhammad Ismail, son of Qamar Aziz, a resident of Sialkot, Punjab, was staying in a local hotel as a tourist. According to the local residents, some people in the town&rsquo;s market had alleged that Ismail had committed desecration of the Holy Quran.

On the blasphemy allegation, some people caught the suspect and handed him over to the police. The Madyan police took him into custody and locked him up in the police station. The incident was announced from mosques through loudspeakers in the bazaar.

Later, thousands of angry people gathered outside the Madyan police station and demanded that the police hand over the suspect to them. On refusal, a fierce exchange of fire took place between the local people and the police in which one person was injured and shifted to the Madyan Hospital.

Later, the people entered the police station and shot and killed the suspect and dragged his body to the Madyan Ada, where they hanged him. The people also set the police station and police vehicles on fire, while the policemen on duty fled. Meanwhile, more police force was called to control the mob.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-21-at-10-00-19-AM1718946233-0/WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-21-at-10-00-19-AM1718946233-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Two women get death sentence over 'blasphemy' murder</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459962/two-women-get-death-sentence-over-blasphemy-murder</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2459962/two-women-get-death-sentence-over-blasphemy-murder#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 24 17:06:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2459962</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police say three female students reportedly killed a female seminary teacher over blasphemy in DI Khan in 2022]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Two women have been sentenced to death for murdering their madrassa teacher who they accused of committing blasphemy, police said Wednesday.

Blasphemy is an incendiary charge even unproven allegations of insulting Islam have provoked deadly vigilantism.

Police said the &quot;three female students allegedly slaughtered their local female cleric over blasphemy allegations&quot; in northwestern Dera Ismail Khan city in March 2022.

A district judge &quot;handed down the death penalty to two local madrasa students and a life sentence to one upon proving their involvement in the murder,&quot; local police official Muhammad Haris told AFP.

The pair sentenced to death are aged 23 and 24 whilst the one sentenced to life in jail is 16, he said.

The death penalty is technically allowed in Pakistan -- and courts regularly hand down the sentence -- but there have been no executions since 2020, according to Amnesty International.

Read also: Hindu teacher acquitted in blasphemy case after five years

Before that executions of women were not frequent, but many female inmates have languished on death row for years.

Pakistan has been hit by a spate of high-profile blasphemy cases in recent weeks.

In February, police were forced to intervene in Lahore when a woman wearing a shirt adorned with Arabic calligraphy was surrounded by a mob accusing her of blasphemy.

The crowd of men said the clothing depicted the Holy Quran but it was in fact emblazoned with the Arabic word for &quot;beautiful&quot;.

Pakistan&#39;s top Supreme Court judge has also been targeted by veiled death threats after ordering the release of a man accused of disseminating a blasphemous text.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1572703-death-1512036219/1572703-death-1512036219.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Ignorance and intolerance is a deadly mix</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2458234/ignorance-and-intolerance-is-a-deadly-mix</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2458234/ignorance-and-intolerance-is-a-deadly-mix#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 03 Mar 24 06:09:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Yusra Salim]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2458234</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lahore’s Icchra incident has highlighted how unchecked extremism and rampant illiteracy creates dangerous flashpoints]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[When Azeem Adil first came to Saudi Arabia, he hardly knew a word of Arabic. He thought he would learn the language in time. However, it was a bigger culture shock not just for him but for the locals he interacted with. The looks that he got from his employer were enough for him to realise that he had to overcome this language barrier more urgently, it reflected as a lack of education of his very religion Islam. &ldquo;My boss was so confused when he knew I could read the Quran but I did not understand the meaning of Arabic. It took me a week to make him understand that this is common in the part of the world from where I come from,&rdquo; Adil shared.

His lack of understanding of the Arabic language as a Muslim who reads the Quran was impacting his place in the job market.

With time, Adil learned Arabic. Besides Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, most Muslim countries do not know Arabic as a language yet they read the holy book to understand it. Meanwhile, we don&rsquo;t even bother to read its Urdu or English translations, which we can do easily. &ldquo;I have seen that people have a misconception about Arabic, they think anything written in Arabic is sacred. But it is a language and people use it to communicate, write, and express themselves in normal life,&rdquo; he added.

The recent case that happened in the market in Lahore&rsquo;s Icchra Bazaar has sparked a new debate in every household about our approach to the language of the Holy Quran and our lack of understanding of it. Like every other case that has Islam at its heart, people are divided and have several theories for how such cases are to be dealt with. Here we attempt to take a look at why such cases occur and why religious education and understanding of language is needed in the region, specifically Pakistan.

Pakistan&#39;s culture is greatly impacted by the combination of inadequate education and religious intolerance. In the recent past several cases have emerged where we have seen religious polarisation and the subsequent divisions along religious lines are frequently the results of religious intolerance. Be it the recent case in Icchra Bazaar or similarly a man gathering a mob to lynch a cola company truck because he thought the QR code of the cola bottle resembled the name of Allah and the Prophet (PBUH).

We have seen harrowing incidents in the last some years, including that of a Sri Lankan man who was lynched by a furious mob in the name of blasphemy and Mashal Khan, a student, was killed by a frantic mob over blasphemy allegations. Many were arrested and sentenced to death in the latter case but the religious sentiment and polarisation doesn&rsquo;t stop here.

This polarisation not only threatens social cohesiveness and stability by igniting disputes and sectarian violence but also puts lives in danger. &ldquo;Handling such cases and controlling the situation for the time being isn&rsquo;t the long-term solution,&rdquo; said social activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir. &ldquo;We need to look deep into the equation of what was wrong in such scenarios that resulted in mobs and such conversations where a lady was questioned over a calligraphic piece of cloth.&rdquo;

Jibran was also of the view that changing the narrative and educating the masses will take generations because other than the prevalent mindset, political stakeholders, the state, and other factors do not focus on solutions. Instead they work on an ad-hoc basis to resolve such issues. As a result the victim is made to apologise for unintentionally causing offence to religious sentiments, which as was the case last week, wasn&rsquo;t even offensive to the religion.

Lack of education spreads prejudice and intolerance by promoting ignorance and false views about many religious traditions. According to Jibran, this perspective of religion cannot be changed overnight, and neither was it built overnight. &ldquo;There are only two major sources that uplift minds and bring exposure to critical thinking in a society,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and that are teachers from school level to higher level and the other is either an Imam or any religious scholar be it on a YouTube channel. The question then arises that are these two pillars providing the exposure that a mind needs to develop a sense of higher purpose in life.&rdquo;

Pakistan is a multicultural nation with a diversity of races, languages, and customs. However, instead of being celebrated, this diversity can be stymied by a lack of education and religious prejudice. Culture and customs may be lost as a result of minorities feeling marginalised or under pressure to follow the narrative of the country&rsquo;s majority&rsquo;s religion. &ldquo;Every time anything happens, it sparks a discussion in society. Similarly, the recent case must have also initiated many conversations inside every house. But with it what is needed is a sense of discourse on religion because the populous narrative is what has happened in the market because in general the society is passive and shows zero tolerance,&rdquo; Nasir explained, adding that making an example out of one case and punishing the culprit won&rsquo;t help much given the fact the society needs uplifting in terms of education and understanding the religion. Even in the conversations taking place in our homes, many of the voices have not read the translation of the Holy Quran themselves and, therefore, they would agree with the mob&rsquo;s mentality.

Restrictions on freedom of expression are frequently the result of religious intolerance, especially when it comes to discussions or criticisms of religion. This inhibits creative expression and intellectual debate, which stifles innovation and creativity in culture. Without a free flow of ideas, society cannot advance and cultural development remains static. &ldquo;Society needs a different perspective and openness to discussion on ideology. For example, when someone saw the lady wearing the shirt with Arabic script and called someone that the woman was wearing a shirt with Quranic verses, why did the other person on the call not say &lsquo;Wait, let me bring an Imam and let him read and tell us what is written [on the shirt]. Another scenario could have been the Imam comes and translates it for the people around the woman to explain that the word written on the shirt means &lsquo;Beautiful&rsquo;,&rdquo; Nasir elaborated how the situation could have been different if conversations change and education on religious matters is promoted.

This incident, and those in the past, should be a lesson for us all. Was the apology made by the victim for wearing that shirt so important or was pleasing the egos of an intolerant society more important? &ldquo;The apology is a prime example of what Palestinians say to Israelis, &lsquo;Those who have taken our eyes call us blind now.&rsquo; Why the state had to represent the mob, in this case, is questionable, and why the case wasn&rsquo;t dealt with the help of our law and constitution,&rdquo; Nasir questioned, adding that what the ASP did was a commendable effort to engage the mob and ensure the victim&rsquo;s safety. However, in the aftermath it was the authorities&rsquo; responsibility to tackle and spread the right information to society rather than making the victim apologise.

Religious prejudice in educational institutions can encourage narrow-mindedness and impede the growth of critical thinking. Students who are not exposed to a variety of viewpoints become less able to recognise cultural distinctions and develop a homogenised view of society. Furthermore, religious minorities are denied equal opportunities for academic and personal growth in schools due to discrimination against them.

The Pakistan Ulema Council has been very vocal about such incidents and always ready to discourage lack of education in religious matters. Similarly, Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, while talking to The Express Tribune, condemned the act and said that the incident has no justification at all. &ldquo;Across the Arab countries, and in the Muslim world,&rdquo; Maulana said, &ldquo;people do wear dresses with calligraphy but in Pakistan, the issue was mere illiteracy of the said language which is alarming.&rdquo;

Maulana Ashrafi added that various platforms have been very vocal on the issue and they keep trying time and again to address the elephant in the room.

To tackle these obstacles, extensive initiatives are needed to support religious tolerance, enhance the availability and caliber of education, and protect fundamental liberties. This entails changing academic programs to encourage diversity and critical thinking, encouraging communication and understanding between different religious groups, and guaranteeing that every citizen, regardless of religion, has equal rights and opportunities. &ldquo;The major conflict here is the understanding of the language that hardly anyone has in this country. Even then, no one has the right to decide what another person wears,&rdquo; Maulana Ashrafi explained adding that nobody can stop a woman from wearing what she is wearing and that specific dress had nothing questionable about it.

Criticising the idea of the system and its ways to resolve such cases, the Maulana denounced making the victim apologise and said that making her apologise was wrong on many counts. &ldquo;Punjab police should take action on such people who made her confess and must make a case against them under the anti-terrorism act. All in all, they should say sorry to the lady and not vice versa,&rdquo; he said firmly, &ldquo;Shariat does not allow you to do this to a woman: four men harassing a woman, and forcing her to tell which caste and creed she belongs to and make her fearful of the system,&rdquo; he added.

It&rsquo;s a language

Pakistan can cultivate a more dynamic and inclusive cultural landscape that promotes social harmony and progress by combating religious intolerance and making educational investments. However, given the fact the Holy Quran is the most sacred book in the religion and the irony that the majority of the population in this country can only read it as a sacred book but are unable to understand it completely is baffling.

Six years ago, Sundas Khan moved to Qatar because her husband worked there. Just one week in, she had a reality check. &ldquo;The first time I went to a mosque, praying behind an Imam was so new to me because in Pakistan we hardly have any mosques that cater to women worshippers,&rdquo; she said. Being born and brought up in Pakistan, she never had the kind of exposure her two children are getting in a Muslim country where Arabic is the first language. &ldquo;One day I was sitting in the mosque when a local came and tried to have a conversation with me. Within two minutes she realised I couldn&rsquo;t understand Arabic, so she started talking to me in English,&rdquo; Khan narrated, adding that what the women asked her was &ldquo;quite embarrassing for me&rdquo;.

&ldquo;She asked me how do you people understand what Allah has said in the Quran when you don&rsquo;t understand it? Her question was followed by how does a whole population just read it without trying to understand it?&rdquo;

Simple questions of logic but for Khan they were profound. &ldquo;Being a Muslim, I didn&rsquo;t know what was written in the Quran because the idea of the sacred book was enough to just read and place it at a high place in the house,&rdquo; Khan said.

It&#39;s not just expats living in countries that have Arabic as the first language but students in Pakistan too struggle in this regard. &ldquo;Not every school offers this opportunity but in my school, we had Arabic language as a subject similar to schools in Sindh having Sindhi as a subject,&rdquo; said Iqra Saleem. &ldquo;Unfortunately, it was not given much importance as there is no board paper for Arabic but we did study the language for four years in school.&rdquo; She added that it might have been the effort of the school owner who was quite a religious person. Such efforts to understand our religion need to be doubled with greater urgency in order to reap their rewards for the whole society.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/hand121111709448348-0/hand121111709448348-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Senate echoes with Lahore mob trying to attack woman</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457857/senate-echoes-with-lahore-mob-trying-to-attack-woman</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457857/senate-echoes-with-lahore-mob-trying-to-attack-woman#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 24 04:42:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457857</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lawmakers slam growing ‘ignorance’ and ‘intolerance’ in country’s society]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The senators on Tuesday condemned the &ldquo;ignorance&rdquo; of a mob that attacked a young woman wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it, demanding strict action against those who falsely accused her of committing blasphemy.

The incident occurred on Sunday in Lahore&rsquo;s Ichra Bazaar when police saved a woman sporting a kurta, which superimposed imprints of the Arabic words &ldquo;beautiful life&rdquo; by a popular clothing brand that led some to believe they denoted a Quranic verse.

A video circulating on social media captured the terrified woman hiding in a shop, refuting the allegations of blasphemy.

Later, a police team led by Gulberg Circle Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi intervened and saved the woman from the mob.

Among the videos in circulation on social media, the ASP can be seen addressing the angry men with a direct stare, her voice loud and firm, reminding everyone to trust her and her team which has satisfactorily handled similar incidents in the past.

As per the ASP, no blasphemous act had occurred. She, alongside other senior police officials, examined the dress and confirmed that the Arabic calligraphy was indeed unrelated to scripture.

In her statement, the woman rejected the allegations of blasphemy, emphasising her commitment to respecting Islam as she hailed from a religious family.

Speaking in the upper house of parliament, Senator Rubina Khalid of the PPP expressed her concern over the growing intolerance in the country.

Describing the incident in Lahore as an unfortunate one, she said ignorance was spreading in the country&rsquo;s society.

&ldquo;There is a major difference between an ignorant and a Muslim,&rdquo; Rubina added.

The PPP senator pointed that the woman was forced to apologise for wearing an outfit with Arabic calligraphy, which the ignorant mob was unaware of.

&ldquo;Why was she forced to issue a public apology for something she didn&rsquo;t do?&rdquo;

She continued that the kurta worn by the woman superimposed imprints of an Arabic word, but it was compared to a Quranic verse.

Rubina observed that the kurta the young woman was wearing belonged to a brand based in Saudi Arabia. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s fine there but here women are harassed in the name of religion.&rdquo;

Speaking on the matter, MQM-P Senator Faisal Subzwari inquired what kind of a Muslim was someone, who could not identify between a Quranic verse and a simple Arabic word.

He also lamented the growing intolerance in the society, saying that it had become common to hurl accusations of blasphemy against each other.

The MQM-P senator emphasised that using religion to level false allegations was the worst form of disrespect.

&ldquo;This is a major problem, I wish the house could have completed the legislation over the misuse of blasphemy laws,&rdquo; he added.

Subzwari asked who was defaming the religion. &ldquo;Was it that woman or is it the people who despite reading the word falsely accused her?&quot;

The MQM-P senator demanded strict action against the people who level false allegations of blasphemy.

&ldquo;Islam is a religion of peace and harmony. Our country and religion are defamed by tragic incidents like the one in Lahore.&rdquo;

Meanwhile, lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday protested in the Senate, demanding the immediate release of the party founder, Imran Khan, his wife, and the female activists of the party.

During a session presided over by Deputy Chairman Mirza Afridi, Senator Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Saadia Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supported the PTI&rsquo;s contention for the issuance of a production order for the senators in custody.

At the outset of the session, the PTI senators raised slogans in the house for the release of the party founder and other imprisoned PTI women.

Senator Ali Zafar said that the PTI women supporters were in jails for many months.

He said that the PTI won 90% of the seats in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, but the party was not being allocated the reserved seats it deserved. He warned that stealing the PTI&rsquo;s seats was against the law and the Constitution.

PTI Senator Faisal Javed said that on Feb 8, the nation reposed full confidence in the PTI founder.
He added that a lack of trust would not end if those with 17 seats came to power.

Later, the PTI senators staged a walkout from the proceedings in protest.

PML-N Senator Saadia supported PTI&rsquo;s demand for the issuance of the production orders of senators Ijaz Chaudhry and Shibli Faraz.

She also demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner for failing to conduct transparent elections.

JUI-F&rsquo;s Kamran Murtaza deplored the treatment meted out to the PTI women supporters.

He said what happened to PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz during the PTI government was wrong, and whatever was happening to the PTI&rsquo;s women supporters was also wrong.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Untitled-design---2024-02-27T132149-209-(1)1709022185-0/Untitled-design---2024-02-27T132149-209-(1)1709022185-0.png" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>COAS commends ASP’s heroic intervention</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457879/coas-commends-asps-heroic-intervention</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457879/coas-commends-asps-heroic-intervention#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 24 11:00:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457879</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Shehrbano honoured for saving woman from mob attack]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Assistant Superintendent of Police Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi visited Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters on Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated.

As per the statement, the meeting centred on her courageous intervention in a volatile situation at Ichra Bazaar in Lahore on February 26, 2024, where she successfully rescued a woman wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it from a mob attack in Lahore.

In praising ASP Shehrbano, the COAS commended her selfless devotion to duty and emphasised the importance of acknowledging the vital role played by Pakistani women in all aspects of life. &ldquo;Since independence, Pakistani women have distinguished themselves at home and abroad by virtue of their talent, tenacity, and commitment,&rdquo; he noted.

Highlighting the significance of women in Pakistani society, the army chief remarked, &ldquo;An invaluable part of Pakistan&rsquo;s society and their respect is enshrined in our religion as well as our social ethos.&rdquo; He urged for recognition of women and their invaluable contributions to the nation.

The COAS took the opportunity to stress the importance of social harmony and the necessity for a nationwide consensus on curbing intolerance.

He advocated for the rule of law and discouraged resorting to vigilantism when legal avenues exist for addressing concerns and grievances. Arbitrary actions based on hearsay undermine the societal outlook,&rdquo; Gen Munir stated, reinforcing Islam&rsquo;s eternal message of kindness and benevolence.

Expressing gratitude for the sacrifices made by law enforcement agencies, the army chief appreciated their efforts in ensuring the safety and security of Pakistani citizens.



ASP Shehr Bano Naqvi, who saved a young woman wearing a dress with Arabic calligraphy printed on it from a mob attack in Lahore, on Monday said that the incident took place due to &ldquo;mere confusion&rdquo; and &ldquo;miscommunication&rdquo;.

Talking to reporters, the police official refused to reveal the woman&rsquo;s identity. She further stated that the calligraphy on the woman&rsquo;s clothes did not bear Quranic verses.

&ldquo;The word written [on the clothes] is doing the rounds on social media [&hellip;] the meaning of the word is literally sincerity, love, goodness, life, humanity,&rdquo; she said, adding that the dress belonged to a brand based in a foreign Muslim country.

To another question, ASP Shehr Bano said the entire incident began when a man in the locality went up to the woman &mdash; who was in the shop along with her husband &mdash; and told her to change her clothes.

&ldquo;The woman asked why should she change and during that heated argument, considering it a religious matter, people started gathering.

&ldquo;So, the situation unfolded because of mere confusion, miscommunication, lack of verification, and playing on mob psychology,&rdquo; the official said.

A potentially calamitous situation was averted in Lahore thanks to the resolute intervention of a policewoman from the Punjab Police.

Newly-elected Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif honoured Shehr Bano, recognising her exceptional courage and astuteness.

Maryam emphasised that the policewoman&#39;s timely intervention averted a potential tragedy, underscoring the critical importance of her actions.

Read Bare Minimum Or Vital Move: Why ASP Shehrbano Naqvi Has Made All The Difference

Expressing gratitude to ASP Shehr Bano, Maryam remarked, &quot;We take immense pride in your valour.&quot;
Despite facing intense pressure and challenging circumstances, the CM-elect said that Shehr Bano upheld the principles of justice and compassion, maintaining the dignity of law and humanity.

Meanwhile, in an interview with BBC, she recounted the intense moments outside a restaurant in Punjab&#39;s capital. &ldquo;Had I not screamed and had I not convinced the crowd that we will do something about it, it would have turned nastier&hellip; Thank God,&rdquo; Gulberg Circle ASP Shehr Bano Naqvi remarked.

This courageous officer found herself at the forefront of a rapidly escalating confrontation when a misunderstanding led the crowd to accuse a woman of blasphemy. The woman&#39;s dress had the word &ldquo;Halwa&rdquo; printed in Arabic letters on it, meaning &ldquo;beautiful or sweet&rdquo; in Arabic.

Displaying remarkable presence of mind and bravery, Shehr Bano swiftly took charge of the situation, preventing it from spiralling into tragedy.

Her decisive actions have garnered widespread praise, with the chief of Punjab Police Dr Usman Anwar advocating for her to be honoured with an award for her exemplary courage.

In the face of imminent danger, Shehr Bano&#39;s steadfastness not only safeguarded the lives of those involved but also prevented potential chaos and violence.

&quot;It was a critical moment. I had to act swiftly to ensure the safety of the woman and prevent any harm from coming to her,&quot; Shehr Bano stated, emphasising the urgency of the situation.

The policewoman, along with her colleagues, managed to escort the woman to safety amidst the growing crowd. Videos circulated on social media depict the tense atmosphere, with Shehr Bano seen negotiating with the crowd, trying to restore order amidst chants for the woman to remove her attire.

&quot;It was a tense situation, but we had to maintain control and ensure the safety of everyone involved,&quot; Shehr Bano added, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement in such high-pressure scenarios.

The situation turned ugly after someone alleged that the girl&rsquo;s dress was bearing Quranic verses.

However, some shopkeepers defended the girl and sheltered her in a shop, telling the mob it was just an Arabic calligraphy print.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/WhatsApp-Image-2024-02-28-at-15-49-581709118936-0/WhatsApp-Image-2024-02-28-at-15-49-581709118936-0.jpeg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>SC rebukes police for warrantless entry</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457171/sc-rebukes-police-for-warrantless-entry</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2457171/sc-rebukes-police-for-warrantless-entry#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 24 13:12:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hasnaat Malik]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2457171</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says privacy of home is inviolable under Article 14(1) of the Constitution]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has rebuked the Islamabad Police for entering the house of a suspect without an arrest warrant, emphasizing that the privacy of the home is inviolable under Article 14(1) of the Constitution.

&quot;Without obtaining a search warrant, the privacy of the petitioner&rsquo;s home was violated. Article 8 of the Constitution gives paramountcy to the Fundamental Rights (including Article 14).

&quot;[This] cannot be abridged, and if any law is made in contravention thereof, it states that it shall to such extent be void,&quot; said an 8-page written order authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Qazi Faez Isa.

Justice Isa was leading a three-member bench that heard the bail application of a Pir, who was booked under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), 1860 &mdash; blasphemy law &mdash; for allegedly displaying a poster at his residence showing pictures of sacred personalities.

The complainant, who had gone to the Pir&rsquo;s residence for a &quot;dum,&quot; had reported to the police, which had raided the Pir&rsquo;s house and taken the alleged poster into their possession.

The verdict noted that when the court inquired from police officials whether they obtained a search warrant before entering the petitioner&rsquo;s house, they replied in the negative.

&quot;Since Section 295-C of the PPC was mentioned as the only offence in the FIR, we inquired whether the matter had been investigated by an officer of the rank of SP [superintendent police], as required by Section 156-A of the Code, and were told that this too was not done.&quot;

The court noted that an offence under Section 295-C of the PPC must be investigated by an officer not below the rank of a superintendent police (SP), as stipulated by Section 156A of the code.

It stated that Verse 27, Chapter 24 (An-Nur) of the Holy Qur&rsquo;an states that believers do not enter houses other than their own until they have asked permission.

&quot;When the police themselves do not abide by the law, it is a matter of grave concern. And all the more so when a citizen&rsquo;s liberty is involved. It is noted that in such cases the complainant, rather than the police, takes the lead, and also effectively takes over the investigation.

&quot;This is done in complete derogation of the law and the Constitution. The SSP stated that he will ensure that in the future, the law is strictly followed. He further states that he will be examining whether disciplinary action is required to be initiated against the delinquent policemen,&quot; it said.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/SC1652779579-0/SC1652779579-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>SC throws out Jaranwala inquiry report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456427/sc-throws-out-jaranwala-inquiry-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2456427/sc-throws-out-jaranwala-inquiry-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 24 05:40:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Jahanzeb Abbasi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2456427</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Regrets that authorities did not try to stop mobs from setting churches on fire]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The apex court on Tuesday dismissed a report presented by the Punjab government on the Jaranwala incident, noting that Punjab Police knew the people involved in vandalizing the places of worship of the Christian community but were afraid to name them.

The court also asked authorities to submit a new report on the incident in ten days, warning that in case of submission of an unsatisfactory report, the court will dismiss or suspend the relevant officials.

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Mussarat Hilali on Tuesday took up a constitution petition filed by members of the Christian community for an inquiry into the August 2023 incidents.

On August 16, 2023, communal violence erupted at Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad after alleged desecration of the Holy Quran. During the riots, dozens of churches, places of worship and properties belonging to the Christian community were attacked and vandalized.

The petitioners noted that never in the history of Pakistan have so many churches been destroyed in a single incident in a single day. &ldquo;At least 24 churches and several dozen smaller chapels were burnt, thus, the present petition is of great public importance and is maintainable,&rdquo; it said.

During the proceedings, CJ Isa said people complain about Islamophobia in other countries but here they are themselves involved in mistreating the minorities. &ldquo;Do we want to emulate the treatment meted out to minorities in India?&rdquo; he asked.

The judge lamented that police did not try to stop the mobs on August 16 and acted like silent spectators. He said police know the real culprits of the Jaranwala incident, but are displaying weakness and cowardice.

&ldquo;By failing to stop the attackers, the police undermined public confidence in themselves. Apparently, the Punjab police appeared intimidated by the attackers of the Jaranwala incident,&rdquo; the judge observed.
Justice Isa said as a citizen, it is embarrassing for him that Pakistan reports the highest number of blasphemy cases in the world. Some people, he said, have turned it into a business.

&ldquo;Those who have no knowledge about Islam are pretending to be authorities. Islam prohibits attacks on places of worship,&rdquo; he said.

The court also issued notices to the federal government, all the provincial governments, the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)
It noted that both the government and the media must play their roles in combating extremism, violence, terrorism, sectarianism, and hatred.&nbsp; The media should publish special messages promoting religious harmony under Section 20 of the PEMRA Ordinance, it said.

The court also gave the government two months to submit a report containing details of all the places of worship belonging to minority communities.

The court also directed authorities to publish complete details of all the Hindu temples and Sikh Gurdwaras along with their pictures on the website of the Evacuee Trust Property Board. The court later adjourned for an indefinite period.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/SC1680769665-0/SC1680769665-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Four to hang for blasphemy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2434216/four-to-hang-for-blasphemy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2434216/four-to-hang-for-blasphemy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Sep 23 05:07:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Qaiser Shirazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2434216</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Judge ruled blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the Holy Quran are heinous, unforgivable crimes]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

An additional district and sessions court of Rawalpindi awarded death penalty to four accused in a blasphemy case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency&rsquo;s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing (CCW). A fifth accused was sentenced to seven years in jail by the court.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Ahsan Mahmood Malik passed the judgment in two separate cases.

He said in his ruling that blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and desecration of the Holy Quran were heinous and unforgivable crimes. The perpetrators of these crimes do not deserve any concession or leniency.

The judge convicted Wazir Gul, Muhammad Amin, Faizan Razak and Muhammad Rizwan, and sentenced them to death and a fine of Rs100,000 for the crime under the Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and life imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 under the Section 295-B of the PPC.

Besides, the judge also awarded seven-year jail term and a fine of Rs20,000 to the fifth accused, Usman Liaquat.

The CCW registered the case against the five convicts on September 12, 2022, based on a complaint filed by civilian Umair.

The CCW presented blasphemous videos and social media posts retrieved from the phones seized from the possession of the criminals to the court.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1083698-hangingx-1460517052/1083698-hangingx-1460517052.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>The Danish way</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432568/the-danish-way</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432568/the-danish-way#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Aug 23 20:20:43 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2432568</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Denmark has taken a step in the right direction by mulling to bring in legislation against sacrilegious acts]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Denmark has taken a step in the right direction by mulling to bring in legislation against sacrilegious acts. The proposed bill would outlaw burning of Holy Scriptures, including the Quran, and shall accompany with punitive retribution against violators. It is a welcome development, and will go a long way as other Scandinavian states, which are in the grip of a similar hate campaign fissures against the Muslim community, might join its ranks. Of late, Sweden and Denmark are in the eye of the storm as lunatics and bigots have taken it as a disgusting hobby to burn copies of the holy book, and commit other blasphemous acts merely on the pretext of the freedom of speech. Whereas, the intention remains to hurt a community for its beliefs and bring to the fore the sense of otherness in a welfare state, which is an antithesis of its very foundations of an inclusive governance.

Copenhagen&rsquo;s sincerity is evident from the fact that the new bill will fall under the purview of national security. But, unfortunately, there is a lacuna in it. The law, however, will not encompass &lsquo;verbal and written expressions&rsquo; offensive to religious communities. This assumption is, perhaps, under the canon of freedom of speech, and is self-defeating. A glance at its checkered communal history suggests that caricatures of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) had been at the root-cause of worldwide protests, and had led to backlash on the trade and diplomacy forums.

While it is appreciated that the Western government(s) are gradually understanding the indispensable importance of forbearance when it comes to accommodating Islamic point of view against blasphemy of divine revelations and personalities, what is required is a blanket ban on hurting others sentiments in any form or manifestation. Such abhorrent acts fuel hatred beyond geographical boundaries, and harm inter-faith harmony. The Western civilisation is marked for respect, compassion and a sense of understanding, but it doesn&rsquo;t seem to be the case when it comes to confronting maniacs in their own society. Let&rsquo;s end this selective approach too.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2023.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Editorial-Opinion-copy1/Editorial-Opinion-copy1.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>HRCP says Muslim leaders complicit in Jaranwala attacks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432474/hrcp-says-muslim-leaders-complicit-in-jaranwala-attacks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2432474/hrcp-says-muslim-leaders-complicit-in-jaranwala-attacks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Aug 23 05:31:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2432474</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fact-finding mission also reports weaknesses in the strategy employed to restrain crowd]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A fact-finding mission to Jaranwala found local Muslim religious leaders complicit in attacks on churches and houses of the Christian community earlier this month, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Friday.

The HRCP said in a statement that at least 24 churches and several dozen smaller chapels as well as scores of houses in Jaranwala were torched and looted in a series of mob attacks on Aug 16.

The HRCP sent a fact-finding mission to Jaranwala following the attacks against the local Christian community after allegations of blasphemy against a Christian man and subsequent calls for action by the Muslims from mosque loudspeakers.

Thousands of men gathered in the town and proceeded to attack Christian churches and homes. Several churches were vandalised and torched in the melee in the town of Jaranwala in Faisalabad district.

The HRCP mission comprised its Chairperson, Hina Jilani; Centre for Social Justice Executive Director Peter Jacob, Women&rsquo;s Action Forum Member Neelam Hussain and historian and rights activist Dr Yaqoob Bangash.

According to the HRCP statement, the mission did not rule out the suspicion that it was not a spontaneous or random crowd that led the attacks, but part of a larger campaign of hatred against the local Christians.

Read &lsquo;CTD arrests both main accused in Jaranwala rampage&rsquo;

The mission recognised the operational difficulties facing the police in a small town with meagre administrative and law-enforcement resources to deal with a situation of widespread violence.

However, the statement added that there were concerns with respect to the timeline of the response, as well as weaknesses in the strategy employed to restrain the crowd.

The HRCP statement stressed the need for devising policies and strategies to deal with organised extremist groups, especially with regard to enforcement of law and order, so that such groups could not undermine the writ of the state.

The mission urged the Punjab government to take measures to implement the recommendations of the judicial inquiry held after the communal riots in Gojra in 2009, calling for stern action against any instances of hate speech.

&ldquo;The government needs to take urgent measures to compensate the victim community and rebuild the Christian neighbourhoods damaged in Jaranwala,&rdquo; the mission recommended.

&ldquo;The directive of the 2014 Supreme Court judgment calling for a separate police force to be created to protect religious minorities&rsquo; places of worship must be implemented urgently,&rdquo; it added.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/church1692958724-0/church1692958724-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Christian brothers arrested for blasphemy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431460/christian-brothers-arrested-for-blasphemy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431460/christian-brothers-arrested-for-blasphemy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 19 Aug 23 05:48:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2431460</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab IGP says 87 Christian homes, 19 churches damaged]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Police have arrested two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy, a spokesperson and a source said on Friday, two days after a mob burnt churches and houses, alleging that the two men desecrated the Holy Quran.

Pages of the Holy Quran were found in a street with derogatory comments written on them in red, the police said. One attached extra page also carried the names, addresses, and national identity card numbers of the accused, Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar said.

The police were investigating all angles as to why the names and addresses would be attached, he told Reuters. A court ordered the two suspects to be held in police custody for seven days for questioning, a government spokesperson said.

He also said more than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalised when a mob rampaged through the streets over alleged blasphemy this week in Jaranwala.
&quot;The events that unfolded were tragic. Violence like this can never be justified,&quot; Punjab IG Anwar told AFP.

Anwar said he personally interrogated the two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy &quot;to avoid accusations of torture&quot;.

The police said they arrested an additional 128 people linked to the rampage, in which 87 homes were damaged in the Christian neighbourhood, their contents strewn all over the streets.

On Friday, 3,200 churches were guarded by the police across the province to provide reassurance to the Christian community, Anwar said, adding that he would travel to Jaranwala on Sunday to show solidarity with the Christian community.

Christian groups have held a number of small protests across the country calling for greater protection.
&quot;We hope that through this protest, the government must realise that this issue must be dealt with sternly and those who committed destruction must be brought to justice,&quot; Archbishop of Karachi, Benny Travis, told AFP at a small rally.Condemnation

Read&nbsp;Targeted Christians found shelter with Muslims during Jaranwala rampage

The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and the International Interfaith Harmony Council (IIHC) on Friday jointly observed a solemn &#39;Condemnation Day&#39; across the country, denouncing the shocking desecration incidents of worship places in Jaranwala.

The widespread outrage echoed through mosques as religious leaders and scholars addressed Friday congregations. The call for unity and justice resonated as Ulema and Mashaikh from different regions of the country condemned the heinous act.

Demanding swift justice, they reiterated that the perpetrators of the tragic incident must face a speedy trial. Religious scholars, while speaking to the public during Friday sermons, firmly labelled those who were inciting violence as enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

PUC Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi announced that a delegation of Muslim and Christian leaders would embark on a journey to Jaranwala on Saturday (today), asserting &quot;we stand as plaintiffs of the Jaranwala tragic incident&quot;.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), prominent religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani has called the Jaranwala incident &ldquo;shameful&rdquo; and &ldquo;highly condemnable&rdquo;.

&ldquo;If someone has committed an unlawful act, no one is authorised to take the law into his hand and burn the church or assault any peaceful Christian citizen,&rdquo; he stressed.

Separately, at a news conference, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said a high-level commission should be constituted to probe the Jaranwala rampage.

Agencies]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Jaranwala1692186868-0/Jaranwala1692186868-0.jpeg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Justice Isa pays solidarity visit to Jaranwala</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431484/justice-isa-pays-solidarity-visit-to-jaranwala</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431484/justice-isa-pays-solidarity-visit-to-jaranwala#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 19 Aug 23 11:28:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2431484</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Incoming CJP says mob's actions against Constitution, Islam]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Incoming chief justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Saturday visited Jaranwala tehsil in Faisalabad district to inquire after the local Christian community after 19 churches and several homes were torched in the neighbourhood by a mob enraged over blasphemy allegations.

Justice Isa, who is slated to lead the Supreme Court from Sept 17, a day after incumbent CJP Umar Ata Bandial&rsquo;s retirement, was briefed by the police and district administration at Danish School.

On August 16, a charged mob, incited by the loudspeakers of mosques, stormed the neighbourhood ransacking and torching at least 19 churches and over 80 residences besides terrorising members of the Christian community.

Earlier that day, the Punjab police had booked at least three local Christians over blasphemy allegations and attempted to negotiate with the Muslim mob.

During his visit, Justice Isa said: &ldquo;If anyone attacks churches, it is the responsibility of Muslims [to catch] the attackers.&rdquo;

While speaking to members of the Christian community, the senior puisne SC judge said he did not &ldquo;communicate with journalists&rdquo; due to his profession. &ldquo;It is the Muslims who should help you as they have the greatest responsibility.&rdquo;

He asked, &ldquo;Why leave everything to the state?&rdquo;

He distributed food packets, which he acknowledged were akin to a &ldquo;drop in the ocean&rdquo; after asking a Christian leader to see who needed aid the most according to their financial status and accordingly disbursed them.

He inquired from local residents about which other areas were in need of help and asked to be taken there.

In a statement issued after his visit to Jaranwala, Justice Isa quoted verses from the Holy Quran and recalled events from history where Muslim religious leaders had shown respect to Christianity.

Muslims were told to stand up against those who harmed churches, he said.

Referring to articles 295 and 295-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, Justice Isa added that a person who &ldquo;hurt the religious sentiments of anyone&rdquo; is liable to be punished.

He stressed that the actions of the mob in Jaranwala were in violation of the Constitution and the teachings of Islam, which called for peace and tolerance.

Cleric being probed

A cleric is among a dozen people being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers to order protests against alleged blasphemy, a senior police official said.

&quot;That cleric should have understood that when you gather people in such a charged environment... in a country in which people were already very sensitive about (blasphemy) it is like adding fuel to fire,&quot; Punjab IG Usman Anwar said.

&quot;He&#39;s not saying that go and burn their houses. But when the mob gathers, it&#39;s really impossible to control that.&quot;

Committee proposed

Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said that the council had decided to form a 20-member committee with Christian leaders to review the Jaranwala tragedy from all aspects and to supervise the restoration and rehabilitation work of the affected houses, buildings and churches of the affected minority.

Talking to media persons at a news conference at Jaranwala on Saturday, he said the incident was not an attack on the Christians but it was an attack on Pakistanis.

Judicial commission

Former Punjab minister for human rights and minority Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine has called for setting up a judicial commission headed by a high court judge for a transparent investigation into the Jaranwala tragedy.

Karachi

The Christian community staged a protest against the burning of their churches in one of the posh localities of Karachi &ndash; Teen Talvar, Clifton.

All vehicular traffic was diverted to other routes to assist the protest demonstration. However, people of the area faced immense difficulties in reaching their destinations due to the traffic jams.

The sit-in continued till the filing of this news story.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Isa1692448581-0/Isa1692448581-0.png" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>CM Naqvi says Friday sermons to focus on minority rights</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431309/cm-naqvi-says-friday-sermons-to-focus-on-minority-rights</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431309/cm-naqvi-says-friday-sermons-to-focus-on-minority-rights#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 18 Aug 23 07:46:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2431309</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab CM's statement comes after Jaranwala rampage; Naqvi emphasises interfaith harmony among basic Islamic teachings]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that Friday sermons across the province today will focus on minority rights as mentioned in the Holy Quran.

The minister&#39;s statement comes two days after the Christian community in Faisalabad&#39;s Jaranwala was attacked over blasphemy allegations.

Multiple churches in a Christian neighbourhood of Jaranwala tehsil were attacked on Wednesday by an enraged mob over an act of alleged desecration of the Holy Quran.

Read Targeted Christians found shelter with Muslims during Jaranwala rampage

The attack had continued for more than 10 hours without any intervention by police who were at the scene, residents and community leaders had said. Police had denied the accusation, saying security forces had prevented an even worse situation.



Today Friday&#39;s sermons across Punjab will focus on the Rights of Minorities, teachings from the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Amid challenging times, let&#39;s emphasize that such incidents should not be colored by religion. Interfaith harmony is among the basic teachings&hellip;
&mdash; Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) August 18, 2023


Taking to the social media platform X, Naqvi said, &quot;Today Friday&#39;s sermons across Punjab will focus on the Rights of Minorities, teaching from the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).&quot;

&quot;Amid challenging times, let&#39;s emphasise that such incidents should not be coloured by religion. Interfaith, [and] harmony is among the basic teachings of Islam,&quot; he added.

A day earlier, the interim CM said that the provincial government would &quot;restore&quot; all the churches and the homes of the Christian community which were attacked and torched during the mob violence.

FIR lodged

After outrage and calls for justice from all sections of society, the police reportedly lodged two FIRs booking hundreds of unidentified men and a handful of named suspects, who allegedly led the mob.

The district administration also imposed Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) banning all kinds of assembly, except for government events, in the area for seven days.

Pakistan affirms minority rights

Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday said Pakistan was fully determined to protect and promote the constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the individuals belonging to religious minorities.

Read More ICT Police forms Minority Protection Unit

In a statement, she said as a country of law and constitution, Pakistan could not accept the intolerant and violent acts in yesterday&#39;s incident in Faisalabad.

The statement came as the United States on Wednesday had urged Pakistan to investigate mob attacks against churches and Christian homes that broke out in Punjab.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Punjab-Caretaker-Chief-Minister-Mohsin-Naqvi1684125168-0/Punjab-Caretaker-Chief-Minister-Mohsin-Naqvi1684125168-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Over 100 held for vandalising churches</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2430993/over-100-held-for-vandalising-churches</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2430993/over-100-held-for-vandalising-churches#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 23 10:59:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2430993</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Scores of protesters go on rampage in Jaranwala; caretaker PM, other politicians order action against culprits]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Multiple churches in a Christian neighbourhood of Jaranwala tehsil of Faisalabad were attacked on Wednesday by an enraged mob over an act of alleged desecration of the Holy Quran.

The police blocked all routes of the Isa Nagri &ndash; housing over 500 Christian families.

Superintended of Police Bilal Sulehri, along with Mufti Muhammad Yunus Rizvi and a heavy contingent of police, reached the Cinema Chowk of the area and appealed to the mob to remain peaceful.

He assured that teams had been formed to arrest the blasphemy accused and a case would be registered against them. However, the mob remained adamant on &ldquo;hanging the accused&rdquo;.

The locals of the area accused the police of standing by as spectators as hundreds of people, armed with sticks and batons, vandalised the churches besides ransacking and even burning their homes.

Separate media outlets quoted the interim Punjab government officials as saying that more than &ldquo;100 people have been arrested for their involvement in riots over the alleged blasphemy in Faisalabad&rsquo;s Jaranwala during which members of the Christian community were targeted&rdquo;.

Media reports stated that a mob of over 100 people set ablaze the Salvation Army Church, one of the oldest in the area. The United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church and Shehrunwala Church were also ransacked.

However, a statement issued by the interim Punjab government said: &ldquo;A large mob of five to six thousand people gathered at various places of Jaranwala in different groups. They attempted to attack localities of a minority which was foiled by the police at various places. An attempt was made to damage various buildings which was pre-empted and countered by the police timely action.&rdquo;

Rana Imran Jamil, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, told AFP that four churches had been set on fire. A Christian cemetery was also vandalised, as well as the local government office, as crowds demanded action from the authorities.

Read Govt, TLP agree to stringent anti-blasphemy measures

As panic spread in the area, shops were shut and a strike was called. The situation remained tense despite heavy presence of police at the site.

Videos and messages posted on social media by the people of the area suggested that the mob was reportedly incited by announcement from loudspeakers of mosques about the alleged desecration of religious scriptures by three Christians.

The police registered a blasphemy case under sections 295B and 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). However, the police have yet to take action against the mob that caused panic in the area and damaged private property.

After the incident, Jaranwala Assistant Commissioner Shaukat Masih was immediately transferred and Rana Aurangzeb, the Tandlianwala assistant commissioner, was given the additional charge.

There were no reports of injuries in any of the incidents so far. A police report said that charges would be filed against two Christian men, who had fled the area. The police said that whoever was found involved, would be brought to justice.

&quot;There is a stand-off between the police and the crowds. The crowds are not backing down. Police and Rangers have been deployed to control the situation,&quot; Ahad Noor, a district government official, told AFP.

In Lahore, Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar said portions of the churches had been vandalised.

The police, he added, were &ldquo;negotiating&rdquo; with the crowd and the area had been cordoned off.

In a joint statement issued by the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and the International Interfaith Harmony Council (IIHC), PUC Chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said religious leaders visited Jaranwala on Wednesday to address the situation.

&ldquo;They [the leadership of PUC and IIHC] assured that the protection of religious places was not only the duty of the Muslim populace but also a responsibility upheld by the state,&rdquo; the statement added.

Violence condemned

In a statement on social media platforms, Bishop Azad Marshall called for justice. &quot;A church building is being burnt as I type this message,&rdquo; he tweeted on the microblogging website X.

He sought &ldquo;action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice &hellip; to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland that has just celebrated independence and freedom&rdquo;.



Words fail me as I write this. We, Bishops, Priests and lay people are deeply pained and distressed at the Jaranwala incident in the Faisalabad District in Pakistan. A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been&hellip; pic.twitter.com/xruE83NPXL
&mdash; Bishop Azad Marshall (@BishopAzadM) August 16, 2023


Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, in a message on X, expressed regret over the incident, warning that strict action would be taken against those who targeted minorities by violating the law in Jaranwala.

The caretaker prime minister stated that the news received from Jaranwala had deeply saddened him, adding that all law enforcers had been instructed to arrest the miscreants involved in these incidents and punish them accordingly.



I am gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala,#Faisalabad. Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits and bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands&hellip; https://t.co/GHWUGA1NNq
&mdash; Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) August 16, 2023


Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sahrif also described the incident as &ldquo;sad and disturbing&rdquo;. In his post on X, he said there was no place for violence in any religion.

&ldquo;All religious places, Holy Books and personages are sacred and deserve our highest level of respect. I urge the government to take action against the culprits,&rdquo; Shehbaz added.



What is happening in Jaranwala is sad and disturbing. There is no place for violence in any religion. All religious places, Holy Books and personages are sacred and deserve our highest level of respect. I urge the government to take action against the culprits. I also appeal to&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 16, 2023


He also appeal to the Ulema, Mashaikh, and religious scholars from all schools of thought &ldquo;to come forward and condemn&rdquo; the reprehensible actions.

&ldquo;Such madness can&#39;t be allowed. Pakistan belongs to all religious minorities,&rdquo; he added.

Former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also denounced the violence against the minority community, saying: &ldquo;Horrified to hear about the attack on Churches in Jaranwala, Faisalabad.&rdquo;



Horrified to hear about the attack on Churches in Jaranwala, Faisalabad, Violating the sanctity of places of worship is absolutely unacceptable. The administration must ensure the safety of the Christian community and their Churches.
&mdash; BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) August 16, 2023


The PPP chairman wrote on X that &ldquo;violating the sanctity of places of worship is absolutely unacceptable&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The administration must ensure the safety of the Christian community and their Churches.&rdquo;

Condemning the attack on the churches in Jaranwala, former interior minister Rana Sanaullah demanded of the government to bring the culprits to justice at the earliest. &ldquo;Extremism and hatred nullify the fundamental principles of Islam.&rdquo;



Strongly condemn the dastardly attack on the church in Jaranwala today. The culprits must be brought to justice at the earliest, and the law should take its due course. Extremism and hatred nullify the fundamental principles of Islam.
&mdash; Rana SanaUllah Khan (@RanaSanaullahPK) August 16, 2023


Meanwhile, other X users from different walks of life called on the Punjab government to take action against the mob, which reportedly chanted slogans in support of a far-right religio-political party as it resorted to violence.

They included former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Senator Sarfraz Bugti, former senator Afrasiab Khattak, actor and activist Nadia Jamil, journalist Asad Ali Toor, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, and others.

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES AND NEWS DESK)]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Jaranwala1692186868-0/Jaranwala1692186868-0.jpeg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Govt, TLP agree to stringent anti-blasphemy measures</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2421900/govt-tlp-agree-to-stringent-anti-blasphemy-measures</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2421900/govt-tlp-agree-to-stringent-anti-blasphemy-measures#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jun 23 18:34:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2421900</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[They further agreed that the capacity to prevent desecration of the sanctity of the Islam would be enhanced]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A government ministerial team held a second round of talks with the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and both agreed to several points, mainly pertaining to the steps to counter blasphemy, Express News reported on&nbsp;Thursday.

The government team included Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, while Dr Shafiq Amini, Ghulam Abbas Faizi, Mufti Umair Al-Azhari, Maulana Ghulam Ghaus and Jeelan Shah represented the TLP.

Both sides agreed that impartial and speedy trial would be conducted of blasphemy accused; steps would be taken for the establishment of a counter-blasphemy department, and a filtering system would be installed to remove indecent content from social media.

Besides Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act would be applied to accused under the Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

They further agreed that the capacity and efficiency of the already existing body to prevent desecration of the sanctity of the Islam would be enhanced so that it could carry out its work effectively.

Also read:&nbsp;Lecturer may face blasphemy charges for &lsquo;incest&rsquo; quiz

It was agreed that the government would take serious steps for the return of Dr Aafia Siddiqui from the US. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would write a letter to the US government in three working days for the release of Dr Siddiqui.

Besides, all the notifications issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) against the TLP would be withdrawn.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/blasphemy1685562629-0/blasphemy1685562629-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Mardan court convicts man of blasphemy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2419586/mardan-court-convicts-man-of-blasphemy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2419586/mardan-court-convicts-man-of-blasphemy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 31 May 23 19:31:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2419586</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Special ATC sentences Irfan to death; imposes fine of around Rs0.5m]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A trial court in Khyber Pakhunkhwa&rsquo;s (K-P) Mardan city on Wednesday sentenced a man to death for committing blasphemy. The court also slapped him with a fine of Rs0.4 million.

Special Anti-Terrorism Court-II (ATC) Judge Khalid Khan also sentenced 36-year-old Irfan to five-year-imprisonment on two counts while also imposing additional fines of a total Rs160,000.

On February 13, 2017, Irfan entered a mosque at Guli Bagh neighborhood of the city and used the loudspeakers to claim that he was a prophet. The culprit fled the scene when an angry mob gathered outside the mosque and tried to capture him.

The police arrested Irfan two days later and registered an FIR against him under the blasphemy law.
An ATC in Peshawar on March 25 convicted and sentenced a man to death after he was accused of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group. Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act, 1997.

&quot;Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty,&quot; the court order said.

Also read: Chinese engineer in police protection after blasphemy accusation

Zeeshan, also a resident of Mardan, was also fined Rs1.2 million and handed a total of 23 years imprisonment. He has the right to appeal.

The case arose after Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Talagang in Punjab province filed an application with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) two years ago, accusing Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group, Saeed&#39;s counsel Ibrar Hussain told AFP.

The &quot;FIA had confiscated Zeeshan&#39;s cell phone and its forensic examination proved him guilty&quot;, he said. While Pakistan&#39;s laws prohibiting blasphemy can carry a potential death sentence, so far it has never been enforced for the crime.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/blasphemy1685562629-0/blasphemy1685562629-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Chinese engineer in police protection after blasphemy accusation</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2412364/chinese-engineer-in-police-protection-after-blasphemy-accusation</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2412364/chinese-engineer-in-police-protection-after-blasphemy-accusation#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 17 Apr 23 13:12:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2412364</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police moved in as crowds gathered on Sunday afternoon and officers took the man to a safer location, says official]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A Chinese supervisor at the Dasu hydropower project in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&#39;s Kohistan district is under police protection after workers accused him of blasphemy, officials said Monday.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in the country as even rumours of sacrilegious remarks can incite lynch mobs and deadly violence.

Police moved in as crowds gathered on Sunday afternoon and officers took the man to a safer location, Reuters quoted police official Naseerud Din Khan as saying.

Hundreds gathered again on Monday morning and stormed the main district police station, believing the man was hiding in the building, Khan added.



A Chinese supervisor at the Dasu hydropower project in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&#39;s Kohistan district is under police protection after workers accused him of blasphemy, officials said Monday.#Etribune #Kohistan #Blasphemy pic.twitter.com/xMe92UAjmP
&mdash; The Express Tribune (@etribune) April 17, 2023


But officials, fearing the man might be attacked, had moved him to another district by military helicopter, Khan said. The man was charged and had so far declined to give a statement, police officials said.

Read more: Police arrest woman accused of blasphemy over online video

According to AFP, officials said that the engineer at the project was accused of blasphemy after he highlighted the &quot;slow pace of work&quot; during the holy month of Ramazan, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.

&quot;The labourers said they were fasting but denied that work had slowed down, which led to an exchange of heated words&quot; with the supervisor, a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

&quot;Later, the labourers accused the engineer of making blasphemous remarks&quot; and around 400 locals gathered to protest, he said.

A written complaint filed with the police identified him only as a heavy transport supervisor by the name of &quot;Mr Tian&quot;, and said that his remarks on Saturday &quot;sparked tensions&quot;.

&quot;The Chinese national has been taken to a safe place as a precautionary measure,&quot; Muhammad Nazir, a police official in Dasu, told AFP.

The Chinese embassy in Islamabad did not respond to a request for comment.

A local administration official in Dasu, around 180 kilometres (110 miles) north of the capital Islamabad, said army and paramilitary troops were deployed &quot;to ensure the safety of the engineers&quot;.

The Dasu dam construction contract was awarded to the China Gezhouba Group Company in 2017, and the project is shrouded by tight security.

It is among a number of Chinese firms that have taken on infrastructure contracts in the country despite the security threats to Chinese nationals.

Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, though no executions have ever been carried out for the crime.

Nazir said &quot;formal police action&quot; has not yet started against the Chinese national in Dasu &quot;as authorities are trying to solve this issue peacefully&quot;.

Another police official said that &quot;local clerics and village elders are negotiating with the workers to solve this issue&quot;.

In December 2021, a Sri Lankan factory manager was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob that accused him of blasphemy in Sialkot in Punjab province.

Rights groups say hundreds of people are languishing in prison accused of blasphemy as judges delay trials, fearing retribution against themselves.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/843224-dasudamsignboardhydropowerprojectconstructionkabulriverphotoinpx-1424758544/843224-dasudamsignboardhydropowerprojectconstructionkabulriverphotoinpx-1424758544.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Blasphemy accused arrested in Faisalabad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2412150/blasphemy-accused-arrested-in-faisalabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2412150/blasphemy-accused-arrested-in-faisalabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 15 Apr 23 09:33:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Asif Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2412150</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Faisalabad woman accused of blasphemy; alleges her sister receives 'holy revelations' in a viral video]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A woman was accused of blasphemy and subsequently arrested after videos of her went viral wherein she claimed that her sister was a &#39;prophet who received holy revelations&#39;.

According to the first information report (FIR) registered at the Nishatabad police station in Faisalabad, the police received information that a mob had gathered outside the woman&rsquo;s residence.

Police personnel reached the location and learned that the accused was living in the house and claimed that her sister &ndash; who lives in a posh Lahore locality&ndash; claimed to be a &#39;prophet&#39; and had &#39;revelations&#39;.

The primary accused and her husband &#39;bore witness to the claims&#39; and supported the woman.

In a video now viral on social media, the woman claims that there her sister was under &quot;spiritual tutelage&quot; for seven years.&nbsp;

She further claimed that her sister offered 50 prayers every day, similar to those offered on the Night of Ascension, and had received &quot;revelations&quot;

Read Mob lynches man over blasphemy allegations in Nankana Sahib

The police also detained the woman&#39;s spouse for supporting his wife and sister-in-law.

Local people, especially workers of a religious party, demanded the arrest of the woman and a mob gathered outside her Faisalabad residence.

City Police Officer (CPO) Faisalabad Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, while addressing the charged mob, said belief in the finality of Prophethood and the protection of that belief was the &ldquo;goal of his life&rdquo;. He assured the mob that the &ldquo;cursed&rdquo; woman and others involved in the matter would be brought to justice in accordance with the law.



A woman in Faisalabad claimed to be a prophet and has caused a lot of unrest in the area.
I hope there is not going to be a personal issue behind this. pic.twitter.com/22X1GZum4j
&mdash; Zulfiqar Ahmed 🤔 (@ZulfiqarAhmed69) April 14, 2023


The woman, who claims to be the &#39;prophet&#39;, is said to be a resident of Lahore and has not been informed about any action against her.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Untitled1681551911-0/Untitled1681551911-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Peshawar ATC sentences man to death for blasphemy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2408118/peshawar-atc-sentences-man-to-death-for-blasphemy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2408118/peshawar-atc-sentences-man-to-death-for-blasphemy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Mar 23 12:42:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category><category><![CDATA[Peshawar]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2408118</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Syed Muhammad Zeeshan has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty, says court order]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[An anti-terrorism court in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has convicted and sentenced a man to death after he was accused of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence.

Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act by the court in Peshawar on Friday.

&quot;Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty&quot;, the court order said, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

Read more:&nbsp;Mob lynches man over blasphemy allegations in Nankana Sahib

Zeeshan, who is a resident of Mardan, was also fined 1.2 million rupees ($4,300) and handed a total of 23 years imprisonment. He has the right to appeal.

The case arose after Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Talagang in Punjab province filed an application with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) two years ago, accusing Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group, Saeed&#39;s counsel Ibrar Hussain told AFP.

The &quot;FIA had confiscated Zeeshan&#39;s cell phone and its forensic examination proved him guilty&quot;, he said.

While Pakistan&#39;s laws prohibiting blasphemy can carry a potential death sentence, so far it has never been enforced for the crime.

Although many cases involve Muslims accusing fellow Muslims, rights activists have warned that religious minorities -- particularly Christians -- are often caught in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores.

According to the National Commission of Justice and Peace, a human rights and legal aid group in Pakistan, 774 Muslims and 760 members of various minority religious groups were accused of blasphemy in the last 20 years.

&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1083871-deathpenaltyphotoafpx-1460532296/1083871-deathpenaltyphotoafpx-1460532296.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>NA toughens law against insult to pious people</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2396381/na-toughens-law-against-insult-to-pious-people</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2396381/na-toughens-law-against-insult-to-pious-people#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 23 13:35:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hasseb Hanif]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2396381</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Disrespecting sacred personalities not only promotes terrorism but also hurts sentiments of people, says bill]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The National Assembly unanimously passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday, aimed at increasing punishment for disrespect of Ummahatul Momineen, Ahl-e-Bait, Khulfa-e-Rashideen and Sahaba-e-Kiram.

The bill was piloted by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-e-Islami. Moving the bill, Chitrali said that punishment for insulting a member of parliament was five years, but the punishment for disrespecting the pious personalities of Islam is mere three years.

The lower house of parliament met here with Deputy Speaker Zahid Durrani in the chair. During the session, Durrani expressed displeasure over the absence of several ministers. He also asked the National Assembly members (MNAs) to file their statements of assets with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The house unanimously passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill. The statement of objectives of the bill said disrespecting the companion of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and other sacred personalities not only promoted terrorism and disruption in the country but also hurt people from all walks of life.

In Section 298-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), the bill said, the punishment against the person who disrespected the wives, family and companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), was imprisonment for a minimum of three years along with a nominal penalty.

The bill enhances the minimum punishment for those who insulted the sacred personalities from three to 10 years along with a fine of Rs1 million. Chitrali said that in case of grave disrespect the punishment should be enhanced to life imprisonment.

&ldquo;The punishment for insulting a member of parliament is five years, while the punishment for insulting the sacred personalities is three years. This is an insult in itself,&rdquo; Chitrali told the house. &ldquo;May this bill be a cause of our salvation and may Allah grant our rulers the ability to implement the bill in letter and spirit.&rdquo;

Several other bills were also presented on the Private Members Day. Those included Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology (Amendment) Bill, National Skills University (Amendment) Bill, Institute of Space Technology (Amendment) Bill, COMSATS University (Amendment) Bill, Equal Scales of Salary and Allowances Bill and Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill.

Speaking on a bill, Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said that members were given sponsored bills. &ldquo;We will have to sit together and introduce reforms to improve our education system,&rdquo; Hussain said. &ldquo;The government is focused on training of the teachers to ensure quality education.&rdquo;

During the proceedings, Deputy Speaker Durrani expressed displeasure with the absence of ministers. Poverty Alleviation Minister Shazia Marri said that the ECP had suspended the membership of many ministers for not submitting their returns.

Durrani noted that 136 MNAs had not filed their returns with the ECP. He asked the members to submit the returns with the ECP so that they could join the assembly proceedings. Later the session was adjourned until 11 am Friday.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/National-Assembly-of-Pakistan1652600932-0/National-Assembly-of-Pakistan1652600932-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>CAA sacks employee over hurling blasphemy threat</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2394752/caa-sacks-employee-over-hurling-blasphemy-threat</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2394752/caa-sacks-employee-over-hurling-blasphemy-threat#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 23 04:08:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[NEWSDESK  ]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2394752</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Employee had reportedly hurled threats at female security officer for raising concern over his alleged abuse of power]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has sacked an employee who allegedly threatened a female Christian security officer with blasphemy charges over a parking row in Karachi.

According to the footage of the incident at Karachi airport, the incident occurred when a female security officer chastised a man for allowing an acquaintance&rsquo;s vehicle through security without a vehicle pass.

The man allegedly threatened the female officer with blasphemy charges, saying he would &ldquo;call preachers &hellip; I am mad and will cut [you] up&rdquo;.

The female officer can be heard calling the man out for threatening her with blasphemy allegations and daring him to register a blasphemy case against her.

The video of the incident went viral on social media, inviting criticism and condemnation.

A statement issued by the CAA spokesperson said the row occurred on Thursday and that officials were aware of the matter.

The statement said that the CAA employee had been dismissed from service and a detailed investigation was ordered.

PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari took &ldquo;strict notice&rdquo; of the incident, saying it was shameful to accuse the female security to prevent her from performing her duties.

Zardari directed the federal and provincial governments to protect the female security officer, adding that some elements wanted to bring a bad name to Pakistan by using the name of religion.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Karachi-airport-AFP1628449827-0/Karachi-airport-AFP1628449827-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Top court grants bail to blasphemy accused</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391335/top-court-grants-bail-to-blasphemy-accused</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2391335/top-court-grants-bail-to-blasphemy-accused#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 22 07:33:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hasnaat Malik]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2391335</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[SC says further investigation required in case; grants bail to accused on surety bond of Rs100,000]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to a blasphemy accused who allegedly joined a WhatsApp group that posted blasphemous content.

A division bench, headed by Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, heard the bail application of the accused.

During the hearing, Justice Isa inquired from the public prosecutor why the trial court had not imposed any clause in the indictment.

The apex court judge added how the accused will fight his case when he does not know what crime he has committed.

To this, the deputy attorney general replied that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had inquired into the matter on the complaint.

Irked by the remark, Justice Isa told the deputy attorney general that he should know which clause was imposed at the time of indictment.

Justice Isa said that the FIA also sought the opinion of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in this case, adding that the council said that Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) does not apply to the accused.

The top court&#39;s judge added that the CII is a constitutional body. &ldquo;When the opinion of a constitutional body is not followed, it is better to close it.&rdquo;

Justice Yahya Afridi asked the lawyer of the accused regarding the date the CII opinion was received, to this, the council replied that the opinion came on June 8, 2022.

Justice Afridi inquired if the trial court had rejected the bail despite the opinion of the council. He stated that at this stage, the SC cannot give its opinion.

&ldquo;If we give an opinion, the case under hearing in the high court will be affected,&rdquo; Justice Afridi added.

While giving remarks during the hearing, Justice Isa said that every case about religion is related to the state.

&ldquo;Matters related to religion cannot be left in the hands of individuals but the state machinery should handle them with utmost capacity and caution,&rdquo; he added.

The judge said that state machinery should not lie before individuals in these matters, adding that in a case related to religion, the trial court framed the charge but did not insert the section.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the FIA investigation, the court said that further investigation was required in the case.

The apex court stated that the investigation was incomplete because the alleged post is in Arabic but the investigation doesn&rsquo;t prove whether the complainant knows Arabic or not.

The apex court added that the investigation also fails to mention how the complainant came to know about the post. The apex court then granted bail to the accused on a surety bond of Rs100,000.

The FIA&rsquo;s cybercrime wing, Multan registered a case against the accused on June 6, 2022 on a complaint. Later, a trial court and the high court had rejected the bail of the accused.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/SC1652779579-0/SC1652779579-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>LEAs put 62 blasphemers behind bars</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2389489/leas-put-62-blasphemers-behind-bars</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2389489/leas-put-62-blasphemers-behind-bars#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 22 19:07:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2389489</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nine awarded capital punishment; two death penalty]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) is consistently tightening the noose around blasphemers on social media and netting the people who are allegedly involved in this criminal activity with every passing day.

According to a tentative statistic, 62 blasphemers have been put behind bars so far, of which, nine have been awarded the capital punishment by the trial courts while two of them the death penalty by the high courts.

In addition, the accused under trial in blasphemous cases had never been granted bail by any court of law yet.

Read more:&nbsp;Women madrassa teachers slit colleague&#39;s throat

To curb the menace of blasphemous material on social media, a number of faith-based organisations have got into momentum.

These religious organisations are pursuing the blasphemous cases till their logical conclusions.

In an exclusive talk with APP, Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan Secretary General Sheraz Ahmad Farooqui informed that utilising its Cybercrime Wing&rsquo;s expertise, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had booked an accused allegedly involved in publication of indecent content against the sacred books Quran and Bible on social media on Tuesday.

However, it had also arrested two miscreants allegedly involved in proliferation of desecration stuff on social media on Wednesday, he added.

He said a blasphemer namely Sanaullah had been awarded the death sentence twice by the Anti-Terrorist Court, Peshawar-I.

Farooqui said ATC Judge Fazl Sattar Khan reserved the verdict in the following case on November 24, adding that the convict used to share desecration content on the WhatsApp group against the sanctity and prestige of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He informed that a woman known as Rabia Peerni had been arrested after a first information report was registration at the Data Darbar police station, Lahore on Saturday. He said the accused was involved in desecration of Islamic values and injunctions publicly and making viral number of videos on social media.&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1480140-jail-1502597534/1480140-jail-1502597534.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Court dismisses post-arrest bails in blasphemy cases</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2388702/court-dismisses-post-arrest-bails-in-blasphemy-cases</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2388702/court-dismisses-post-arrest-bails-in-blasphemy-cases#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 22 07:36:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Rana Yasif]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category><category><![CDATA[Lahore]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2388702</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Accused claim they were implicated in forged cases to 'humiliate, embarrass' them]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A district and sessions court dismissed two separate pleas for post-arrest bails for two accused persons allegedly involved in committing blasphemy by using derogatory language against the caliphs (Khulafa-e-Rashdeen).

After hearing detailed arguments, judges presiding over the case&nbsp;dismissed the bail pleas as the counsels for the accused persons &quot;failed to establish their innocence&quot;.

The complainants&#39;&nbsp;counsel Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhary implored the court that there is adequate material to establish the guilt of the accused persons.

He claimed that there is evidence wherein the accused persons allegedly committed blasphemy by using derogatory language against Khulafa-e-Rashdeen.

However, the counsels for the accused persons argued that they&nbsp;had nothing to do with these cases, adding that they have been implicated in forged cases merely to humiliate and embarrass them.

Read LHC summons officials over plea about Quran translation

The advocates&nbsp;requested the court to grant&nbsp;post-arrest&nbsp;bail pleas of those&nbsp;accused, claiming that &quot;the story woven in the FIRs is concocted and has no nexus with the reality&quot;.

Accused Qamar shared some objectionable voice messages in a WhatsApp group in which he&nbsp;allegedly used derogatory language against Khulafa-e-Rashdeen.

Complainant Muhammad Ajmal registered an FIR against Qamar at the Akbari Gate police station under sections 298-A and 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Similarly, the second accused Ziagam was operating a Facebook account where he purportedly&nbsp;posted blasphemous material against Khulafa-e-Rashdeen.

Complainant Majid registered an FIR against Ziagam with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)&nbsp;cybercrime cell under sections 11 of PECA 2016, 295-A and 298-A of PPC.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1448815-jail-14990614251630864804-0/1448815-jail-14990614251630864804-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Woman arrested for allegedly desecrating Holy Quran in Karachi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2383625/woman-arrested-for-allegedly-desecrating-holy-quran-in-karachi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2383625/woman-arrested-for-allegedly-desecrating-holy-quran-in-karachi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 22 15:02:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2383625</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police say young married woman has been taken into custody and investigation is underway]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A young married woman was arrested from the metropolis&rsquo; New Karachi area on Wednesday on the charges of &lsquo;blasphemy&rsquo; after she allegedly desecrated the Holy Quran.

The area residents staged a protest and blocked the road outside Bilal Colony police station, demanding the security personnel hand over the accused to them.



To control the security situation, the area police closed the doors of the police station, beefed up the security and immediately shifted the suspect to a safer place.

A first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, has been registered under Section 295-B on the complaint of the area people.

Speaking to The Express Tribune police inspector Ahmed Nawaz said that the suspect had been taken into custody and the investigation is underway.

&ldquo;We have also recovered the Holy Quran that was allegedly burnt,&rdquo; he added.

Also read: Violence over blasphemy allegations against Islam: CII

In the videos available with The Express Tribune, the woman can be seen being beaten up by the crowd while some of the area women who allegedly caught the accused red-handed, tried to hand over the woman to the police.

In a video, when asked why she desecrated the Holy Quran she replied: &ldquo;I am Yahoodi [Jew] and the Muslims don&rsquo;t like Jews.&rdquo;

In another video clip, the woman said that she is from Dadu, a district in Sindh province 340km from Karachi.

Contrary to her statement, the local police claimed that she was from Khamiso Goth, an area in the city.

The mob tried to kill her by setting her on fire in the middle of the road.

Law enforcers said that it is premature to say anything about the mental health of the accused.

&ldquo;We have to investigate it further,&rdquo; Nawaz said. But, he added, the mob was outside the police station and it is not the right time to investigate in such situation.&rdquo;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Protest-21666883169-0/Protest-21666883169-0.png" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>In landmark judgement, SC orders state to take 'utmost care' in blasphemy cases</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2374225/in-landmark-judgement-sc-orders-state-to-take-utmost-care-in-blasphemy-cases</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2374225/in-landmark-judgement-sc-orders-state-to-take-utmost-care-in-blasphemy-cases#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 22 11:47:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hasnaat Malik]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2374225</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Apex court observes even in Islamic jurisprudence the guilty cannot be executed by one who is not so authorized]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court (SC), in a detailed judgement, asked the concerned state functionaries on Thursday to exercise &quot;utmost care&quot; while dealing with blasphemy cases.

The apex court&#39;s judgement came in the case of a bail granted to a Christian sanitary worker imprisoned since last year.

A division bench of the apex court comprising Justice Isa and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the post-arrest bail request of Salamat Mansha Masih who is employed as a sweeper with the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and had been accused of committing blasphemy.

&ldquo;Unfortunately, such cases receive wide publicity which has an adverse effect and may also jeopardise a fair trial,&rdquo; stated Justice Qazi Faez Isa in a nine-page judgement.

&ldquo;Irresponsible and sensational broadcasts and publications repeat what allegedly the accused had said or done; those repeating this may themselves be committing the same offence,&rdquo; said the judgement, expressing reservations over the &ldquo;serious&rdquo; nature of &ldquo;offences relating to religion&rdquo;.

&ldquo;A section 295-C offence prescribes only punishment by death,&rdquo; it observed and furthered that &ldquo;therefore, utmost care must be exercised by all concerned that no injustice in the administration of justice takes place&rdquo;.

Read 27 employees of cellphone company held over &#39;blasphemy protest&#39; in Karachi

The judgement also took notice of how &ldquo;many a time false allegations are levelled to settle personal scores and cases are also registered for mischievous purposes or on account of ulterior motives&quot;.

Justice Isa also stressed that &ldquo;righteous zeal, moral outrage, and/or indignation&rdquo; may also &ldquo;steer&rdquo; the prosecution to by-pass the &ldquo;general standard of proof&rdquo; and therefore, urged the state to &ldquo;proceed with meticulosity and diligently investigate the alleged crime&rdquo; in such matters.

The court also said that &ldquo;abiding by Islamic jurisprudential principles, applying the constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair trial and due process, and acting prudently to ensure that an innocent is not convicted wrongly in respect of offences relating to religion, when there is only the improbable oral testimony of witnesses, then there must be corroboration&rdquo;.

The court held that in such cases if a private complainant takes &ldquo;too keen an interest it may impinge on his credibility and may be indicative of mischief or an ulterior motive&rdquo; and that &ldquo;in quite a few cases it has been noted that complainants grandstand and are joined in by others who try to pressurise the prosecution and the Courts&rdquo;.

In the present case, the court observed that the complainant, who is a student, came to Islamabad from Lahore to oppose the bail petition before the SC when &ldquo;there was no need for him to do this because the case was to be attended to by the State and its law officers&rdquo;.

The judgement also noted that &ldquo;an accused person&rsquo;s fundamental right to a fair trial and due process must also be ensured, and all the more so in cases for which severe punishments are prescribed.&rdquo; Nonetheless, the SC also stated that &quot;there have been instances when tempers were provoked and enflamed by provocateurs, and a mob was collected and enraged to take the law into its own hands, to hurt and even kill the accused, before he was ever adjudged guilty&quot;.

Matters of religion and Islamic jurisprudence

&quot;The law prohibits the taking of the law into one&rsquo;s hands, let alone to cause hurt or death, and this protection is also fully applicable to one who may be guilty,&quot; stated the court order.

The court also remarked that Islamic jurisprudence considers &quot;offences relating to religion to be offences against God&quot; and observed that &quot;to establish the guilt of an accused in a hadd offence&quot; the highest form of evidence is required &quot;and any doubt exonerates the accused&quot;.

Read more SC irked over police becoming party to blasphemy case

&quot;In Islamic jurisprudence even if a person has been found guilty and sentenced to death, the sentence cannot be executed by one who is not so authorized, and if he kills the convict, he is liable for the offence of iftiyat (wasting the right of the State) and is to be punished&quot;.

The judgement says that the prosecution&#39;s evidence against the petitioner (accused) comprises the statements of four friends. &quot;We have examined their testimony which commences by stating that the petitioner&rsquo;s co-accused produced the Zindagi Ka Pani book and that, both accused intentionally started preaching Christianity&quot;.

Preaching of Christianity, however, &quot;is not a crime nor can it be made into one because of the fundamental right to profess, practice and propagate religion,&quot; said the court.

A copy of the order was also directed by the SC to be sent to the provincial and capital prosecution departments to &ldquo;ensure that the investigation of offences relating to religion, under Chapter XV of the Pakistan Penal Code, are conducted in accordance with the law and the Constitution&rdquo; as explained in the order.

&#39;Bright side of Islamic justice system&#39;

Renowned lawyer Saif ul Malook, who successfully pleaded several blasphemy cases including of Asia Bibi&#39;s hailed the judgement and said that &ldquo;Justice Isa has for the first time spoken the true spirit of blasphemy laws since their inclusion in the Constitution in 1985&rdquo;.

&quot;The court&#39;s observation that the complainant&#39;s traveling from Lahore to Islamabad make the case doubtful because the state is the inchang&eacute; of prosecution is the true interpretation of the law,&quot; he added. &quot;The personal interest of complainant rendering the allegations doubtful is the crux of the history of blasphemy cases&quot;.

Malook said that Justice Isa has shown a brighter side of the Islamic justice system to the western world. Expressing optimism, the lawyer said that &quot;soon false accusations shall come to an end if the law is laid down as commanded by articles 189 and 190 of the Constitution&quot;.

{pdf}]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/2251832-SupremeCourtAFP-1593288222/2251832-SupremeCourtAFP-1593288222.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Pakistan condemns Indian lawmaker's blasphemous remarks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2372891/pakistan-condemns-indian-lawmakers-blasphemous-remarks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2372891/pakistan-condemns-indian-lawmakers-blasphemous-remarks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 24 Aug 22 06:17:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2372891</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[FO demands 'immediate, decisive' action against BJP members 'habitually involved in attacking Islam, Prophet (PBUH)']]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan strongly condemned on Wednesday the &ldquo;highly provocative and sacrilegious&rdquo; remarks made by India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar demanded the Indian government &ldquo;to take immediate and decisive action against the BJP members habitually involved in attacking Islam and targeting the dignity of beloved Prophet (PBUH)&rdquo;.

He also called upon the international community to take urgent cognizance of the aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India.

&ldquo;The current incident once again highlights the present Indian regime&rsquo;s obsessively spiteful demeanour towards Muslims and the worrying trajectory of Islamophobia in India,&rdquo; the FO further stated.

The FO spokesperson further stated this was the second time in the last three months that a senior BJP leader had made disrespectful comments against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

&ldquo;These highly derogatory remarks have gravely hurt the feelings of the people of Pakistan and billions of Muslims around the world. The token and perfunctory disciplinary action taken by the BJP against the said official cannot assuage the pain and anguish caused to the Muslims of India and around the world,&rdquo; the statement highlighted.

Read &lsquo;BJP leader&#39;s blasphemous remarks designed to ignite anti-Muslim riots&#39;

BJP leader T. Raja Singh, a lawmaker in the southern state of Telangana, was detained on suspicion of &quot;promoting enmity in the name of religion&quot; after Muslim groups demanded his arrest for his comments about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Singh was released on bail just hours after his arrest. The FO condemned his release and berated the Indian authorities for setting him free calling the act &quot;highly reprehensible.&quot;

&ldquo;The fact is that India is nothing more than an undeclared &lsquo;Hindu Rashtra&rsquo; where Muslims are routinely denigrated, dispossessed and marginalised and their religious beliefs are trampled under majoritarian hegemonism,&rdquo; the spokesperson observed.

The BJP lawmaker had uploaded a video that contained blasphemous remarks about the Prophet (PBUH). His detention came months after the BJP suspended a spokesperson for her remarks on the Prophet (PBUH) that had led to a diplomatic backlash against India.

Hundreds of Muslims protested against Singh on Monday evening after the video appeared on social media, footage from media showed.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Asim-Iftikhar1648130823-0/Asim-Iftikhar1648130823-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Blasphemy suspect gets bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2372745/blasphemy-suspect-gets-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2372745/blasphemy-suspect-gets-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 22 19:05:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2372745</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Salamat Masih has been in jail since January 4, 2021]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has accepted the bail application of a Christian man, who faced charges of committing blasphemy, on a surety bond of Rs50,000. The court observed that the State should show responsibility in cases of blasphemy.

It added that in cases of blasphemy, it was necessary to provide protection to holy personalities as well as the suspects until the allegation was proven. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah heard the bail application of Salamat Mansha Masih, who was accused of committing blasphemy by four students in Lahore&rsquo;s Model Town Park.

A case was registered against him at Model Town police station.
The suspect has been in jail since January 4, 2021. Justice Isa noted every second person rose up and accused the other of insulting their religion. The judge added that blasphemy was not a small crime and its punishment was death.

Read more: 42 Muslims accused of blasphemy in 2021

Justice Isa further observed that the incident took place in a park and no one including the guard was made a witness. Justice Shah also noted that there was a contradiction in the FIR. He pointed out that the FIR read that the suspect was a preacher whereas he was not.

&ldquo;Why was Pakistan created?&rdquo; Justice Isa asked the plaintiff&rsquo;s lawyer. The lawyer replied that Quaid-e-Azam had said Pakistan was the testing ground for Islam. &ldquo;When did Quaid-e-Azam say this? Justice Isa inquired.

The judge added that in the past, generals had attributed a lot of sayings to Quaid-e-Azam, now lawyers should not do that.

Justice Isa informed the lawyer that Quaid-e-Azam had said that people of all faiths were free for their worship in Pakistan.

&ldquo;There is already a lot of division in the society in the name of religion, don&#39;t create more,&rdquo; he added.
The judge further noted that he had never come across a case where a Christian had accused a Muslim of committing blasphemy.

Also read: BJP receives flak from Muslim countries over Islamophobic remarks

Justice Isa went on to ask what was the profession of Salamat Masih.
Salamat&rsquo;s lawyer told the judge that his client worked as a garbage collector in the Lahore Waste Management Company.

Justice Isa wondered why Muslims did not work as garbage collectors.
&ldquo;Cleanliness is half faith. The Holy Prophet&#39;s (PBUH) Sunnah includes cleanliness but we do not follow it,&rdquo; he observed.

&ldquo;We should be grateful to our Christian brothers for picking up our garbage for us,&rdquo; he added.

&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/1113266-supremecourt-1464649575/1113266-supremecourt-1464649575.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>‘COAS appointment should be on merit’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2372199/coas-appointment-should-be-on-merit</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2372199/coas-appointment-should-be-on-merit#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 20 Aug 22 12:13:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2372199</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Imran says his Salman Rushdie comment taken out of context]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan&nbsp;Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday said that his remarks in the British newspaper The Guardian regarding the attack on author Salman Rushdie were &quot;taken out of context&quot;.

In an interview, the former premier condemned the knife attack on Rushdie, claiming that the anger of Muslims against the author was understandable but it didn&#39;t justify the attack.

However, the official Twitter account for the PTI, clarified that Imran&rsquo;s statement was &ldquo;taken out of context&rdquo;, and that he had refused to attend a seminar in India because Rushdie was also invited.



دی گارڈین نے میری گفتگو سیاق و سباق سے ہٹ کر پیش کی۔ میں نے بھارت میں ملعون سلمان رشدی کو مدعو کرنے پر سیمینار میں شرکت سے انکار کیا۔ انٹرویو میں، میں نے گستاخ رسولﷺ کو سزا دینے کے اسلامی طریقہ کار کی وضاحت کی۔ سانحہ سیالکوٹ کا حوالہ دیا، اسی تناظر میں رشدی کی بات کی۔

عمران خان pic.twitter.com/ioG7dlTNZX
&mdash; PTI (@PTIofficial) August 19, 2022


&ldquo;In the interview, I explained the Islamic method of punishing blasphemers,&rdquo; he said.
The PTI chief maintained that he had given the example of the Sialkot tragedy and had spoken of Rushdie in a similar context. Imran was referring to the brutal lynching of a Sri Lankan man in Sialkot over blasphemy allegations.

Last week, the author sustained severe injuries in an attack, including nerve damage in his arm, wounds to his liver, and the likely loss of an eye, his agent said. But his condition has been improving since the weekend, and he had been taken off the ventilator.

In a session held with digital media influencers, Imran said that the appointment of the army chief should be on merit.

Read Gill subjected to &lsquo;sexual abuse&rsquo;, claims Imran

&ldquo;If all this [political and economic instability] is happening because of one appointment, it is a great misfortune for the country as the army cannot unite the country only political parties keep a country together,&rdquo; he added.

Imran said that he did not know anything about the extension in the tenure of COAS Gen Qamar. &ldquo;Every day a new story is heard &hellip; Pakistan has to think about the issue of appointment.&rdquo;

Imran said, &ldquo;The neutrals have to decide whether they are with the people or with these thieves [PTI chief&rsquo;s political opponents].&rdquo;
Having played cricket for 20 years, he said, &ldquo;I don&#39;t remember ever reading about the change of army chief in the newspaper.
&ldquo;Here the change of army chief becomes a national issue.&rdquo;

Further, Imran said that the debates being held on social media currently were more of a &quot;course correction, rather than conspiracies&quot;.

Imran said the public was standing with him, adding that with colossal support from the public comes great responsibility as well.

While holding a Q&amp;A, he said social media was not showing any conspiracies but only a trend of course correction.

Emphasising his growing public support, he said: &ldquo;If I want to shut down Islamabad, I can do that easily. However, that will be my final step and I do not wish to go that far.&rdquo;

Regarding the country&rsquo;s financial crisis, Imran turned his guns toward Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying if the premier was serious he should bring his brother Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s wealth worth billions of rupees back to Pakistan.

The PTI chief stressed on taking thoughtful decisions to save the country from economic loss.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/IK-61654114883-0/IK-61654114883-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Iran says Rushdie and supporters to blame for attack</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371233/iran-says-rushdie-and-supporters-to-blame-for-attack</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371233/iran-says-rushdie-and-supporters-to-blame-for-attack#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 22 09:20:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2371233</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Official says Iran cannot be blamed; 'do not consider anyone other than himself, his supporters worthy of reproach']]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[No one has the right to level accusations against Iran over Friday&#39;s attack on Salman Rushdie, for which he and his supporters are solely to blame, the foreign ministry in Tehran said on Monday.

The novelist, who has lived under threat for decades since enraging clerical authorities in Iran through his writing, is recovering after being repeatedly stabbed at a public appearance in New York state.

In Iran&#39;s first official reaction to Friday&#39;s attack, ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said freedom of speech did not justify Rushdie&#39;s insults against religion. His 1988 novel &quot;The Satanic Verses&quot; is viewed by some Muslims as containing blasphemous passages.

&quot;During the attack on Salman Rushdie, we do not consider anyone other than himself and his supporters worthy of reproach, reproach and condemnation,&quot; Kanaani told a news briefing. &quot;No one has the right to accuse Iran in this regard.&quot;

Read&nbsp;&#39;Harry Potter&#39; author JK Rowling receives death threat for defending Salman Rushdie

Writers and politicians around the world have condemned the attack.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that Iranian state institutions had incited violence against Rushdie for generations, and state-affiliated media had gloated about the attempt on his life.

The Indian-born writer has lived with a bounty on his head since &quot;The Satanic Verses&quot; was published in 1988. The following year, Iran&#39;s then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling on Muslims to kill the novelist and anyone involved in the book&#39;s publication.

The Iranian government said in 1998 it would no longer back the fatwa.

But in 2019, Twitter suspended Iran&#39;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei&rsquo;s account over a tweet that said the fatwa against Rushdie was &quot;solid and irrevocable&quot;.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/890596-salmanrushdieafp-1432290179/890596-salmanrushdieafp-1432290179.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Ex-Iran president's daughter charged with propaganda, blasphemy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2364494/ex-iran-presidents-daughter-charged-with-propaganda-blasphemy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2364494/ex-iran-presidents-daughter-charged-with-propaganda-blasphemy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 03 Jul 22 12:38:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[AFP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2364494</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Faezeh Hashemi had termed removal of Revolutionary Guards as damaging to the country's national interests]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The daughter of Iran&#39;s former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was charged with carrying out propaganda activity against the country and blasphemy in social media comments, the judiciary said Sunday.

&quot;The indictment... has been issued and referred to the court on the charges of propaganda activity against the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and blasphemy,&quot; Tehran&#39;s chief prosecutor Ali Salehi said, according to the judiciary&#39;s website Mizan Online.

The charges are connected to comments reportedly made by Faezeh Hashemi, 59, a former lawmaker and a women&#39;s rights activist, during an audio debate on a social media forum in April.

Also read:&nbsp;Zaghari-Ratcliffe, fellow British-Iranian leave Iran-state media

Hashemi is reported to have said that&nbsp;Iran&#39;s demand for the Revolutionary Guards -- the ideological arm of the country&#39;s military -- to be removed from a US terror list was &quot;damaging&quot; to the country&#39;s &quot;national interests,&quot; according to local media.

Removal of the terror designation of the Guards is a key sticking point in negotiations over restoring Tehran&#39;s frayed 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Hashemi&#39;s late father was a moderate who advocated improved ties with the West and the United States.

In 2012, she was sentenced to six months in jail on charges of &quot;propaganda against the Islamic republic&quot;.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Iran1656853020-0/Iran1656853020-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Mobile company distances itself from blasphemy incident</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2364313/mobile-company-distances-itself-from-blasphemy-incident</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2364313/mobile-company-distances-itself-from-blasphemy-incident#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 22 07:11:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2364313</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[People were enraged over comments against companions of Holy Prophet (PBUH) played over a Wi-Fi device of Samsung]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A mobile manufacturer said it will conduct an internal inquiry about an incident of blasphemy allegedly committed by its employees.

People were enraged over comments against the companions of Holy Prophet (PBUH) played over a Wi-Fi device of Samsung at Star City Mall in Saddar.

Preedy police arrested 27 people for allegedly fanning sectarian sentiments through a Wi-Fi device and also seized the device as evidence. S

amsung Electronics in a message said, &quot;with reference to the recent developments in Karachi, Samsung Electronics holds the religion of Islam in utmost respect.&quot; The company has started internal investigations into the matter.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/mobile-phones-pakistan-file1639746359-0/mobile-phones-pakistan-file1639746359-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>27 employees of cellphone company held over 'blasphemy protest' in Karachi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2364211/27-employees-of-cellphone-company-held-over-blasphemy-protest-in-karachi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2364211/27-employees-of-cellphone-company-held-over-blasphemy-protest-in-karachi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 22 15:57:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2364211</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Protest erupted after Samsung 'WiFi devices' installed at Star City Mall allegedly played blasphemous comments]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The police on Friday detained at least 27 employees of a mobile phone company following a violent protest outside Star City Mall in Karachi over alleged blasphemy.

According to media reports, the protests erupted after &quot;WiFi devices&quot; installed at the mall allegedly played comments against the companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). A mob vandalised Samsung billboards and accused the global giant of blasphemy.



Protest against alleged blasphemy of a WiFi device in Karachi. Mob gathered after a WiFi device installed in Star City Mall, allegedly posted blasphemous comments. Protesters vandalised Samsung billboards accusing the company of blasphemy. Police detained 27 Samsung employees. pic.twitter.com/3R8UYbScqa
&mdash; Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) July 1, 2022


Read more: 42 Muslims accused of blasphemy in 2021

Following the protests, Samsung Pakistan issued a statement, saying the company maintained neutrality on religious sentiments.

&quot;Samsung Electronics has reiterated its firm stance that it endeavours to maintain objectivity on all matters of religious significance. With reference to the recent developments in Karachi, Samsung Electronics stands firm on its stance that the company has the utmost respect for all religious sentiments and beliefs and holds the religion of Islam in utmost respect,&quot; the company said in a statement, adding that internal investigation into the matter is underway.



Samsung Pakistan - Press Release July 1st, 2022. pic.twitter.com/IVSpAkH8Lm
&mdash; Samsung Pakistan (@SamsungPakistan) July 1, 2022


&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/star-city-mall-blasphemy1656692034-0/star-city-mall-blasphemy1656692034-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Lawmakers want Indian ambassador expelled</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361480/lawmakers-want-indian-ambassador-expelled</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361480/lawmakers-want-indian-ambassador-expelled#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 22 04:15:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2361480</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Call for stronger action against India over blasphemous remarks]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The lawmakers in the National Assembly on Monday vehemently condemned the derogatory remarks of India&rsquo;s ruling party spokesperson against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), with many demanding of the government to go beyond mere &ldquo;lip-service&rdquo; condemnations and take aggressive steps, including expelling the Indian ambassador within 24 hours and boycotting Indian products.

Speaking on the floor to condemn the BJP leaders&rsquo; abominable remarks as the lower house debated the matter,&nbsp; Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor urged the government to take practical steps and not limit itself to merely passing resolutions in the National Assembly. It must take the matter up with the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the UN.

&ldquo;The government should sever ties with India and expel the ambassador within 24 hours,&rdquo; he stressed and criticised international human rights organisations over their &ldquo;unfortunate silence&rdquo; on the important issue.

He said Pakistan would invite members from all Muslim countries to the Rehmat Ul Alameen Conference during which a strategy would be devised to prevent insulting remarks against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the entire world.

He asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to raise this issue in the General Assembly of the UN Security Council.

MNA Syed Imran Ahmad Shah described the blasphemous remarks as an unfortunate incident and asked the Muslim community across the country to show unity on this issue.

He said that Indian leaders had hurt the sentiments of 1. 5 billion Muslims across the globe.

He asked the government to approach the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the UN for highlighting this important issue.

He said the people involved in this crime should be punished.

MNA Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali underscored it was the fundamental part of Muslims&rsquo; faith to love Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) more than their children and parents. Echoing the religious affairs ministry, Chitrali also asked the government to call back Pakistan&rsquo;s High Commissioner from India and expel the Indian High Commissioner from Pakistan.

MNA Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani said all Muslims were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

&nbsp;MNA Shagufta Jamani strongly condemned the derogatory remarks and asked the government to take up the issue at all the international forums.

MNAs Ghaus Bux Khan Mahar, Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Salahuddin Ayubi and Nisar Ahmed Cheema participated in the debate and expressed their concerns, condemning the derogatory remarks in the strongest terms.

(With Inputs from APP)]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/India-protest1654874479-3/India-protest1654874479-3.png" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Indian Muslim groups urge followers to shun protests over blasphemous comments</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361352/indian-muslim-groups-urge-followers-to-shun-protests-over-blasphemous-comments</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361352/indian-muslim-groups-urge-followers-to-shun-protests-over-blasphemous-comments#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jun 22 11:13:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2361352</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JI Hind calls for Muslim solidarity, says maintaining peace is 'critical']]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Leaders of prominent Islamic groups and mosques in India appealed to fellow Muslims on Monday to suspend plans for protests against derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) made by two members of the ruling Hindu-nationalist party.

The message to avoid big gatherings was circulated after demonstrations took a violent turn last week, leading to the death of two Muslim teenagers and the wounding of more than 30 people, including the police.

&quot;It is the duty of every Muslim to stand together when anyone belittles Islam but at the same time it is critical to maintaining peace,&quot; said Malik Aslam, a senior member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Muslim organisation that operates in several Indian states.

Early this month, two senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made blasphemous remarks that offended Muslims. A party spokeswoman made the offending comment in a television debate and a party spokesman on social media.

The BJP &#39;suspended&#39; both of them and said it denounced any insult towards any religion, and police have also filed cases against the two.

Read BJP receives flak from Muslim countries over Islamophobic remarks 

Police arrested at least 400 suspected rioters during unrest in several states and curfews were imposed and internet services were suspended in some places.

Many Muslims in India have been questioning their place in society since Modi came to power in 2014. Critics say Modi&#39;s BJP has pursued a confrontational line, promoting the idea that India is a Hindu nation and rounded on &quot;anti-national&quot; opponents, which many Muslims see as an attempt to marginalise them, a community that makes up 13% of India&#39;s billion-plus population.

Authorities in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday demolished the home of a Muslim man linked to the protests, drawing the condemnation of&nbsp;constitutional experts and rights groups.

Muslims and rights groups interpreted the destruction of the house as punishment for the protests but state authorities said it was because it was illegally built on public land.

&quot;We are not demolishing houses to stop Muslims from protesting as they have all the right to take to the streets,&quot; an aide to the state&#39;s hardline Hindu leader told Reuters.

Modi has not commented on the anti-Islam remarks that sparked the protests even as condemnation grew abroad.

Countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Iran, important trade partners for India, have lodged diplomatic protests.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/india1655118919-0/india1655118919-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Rally in Bangladesh slams India’s leaders for blasphemy, anti-Muslim policies</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360790/rally-in-bangladesh-slams-indias-leaders-for-blasphemy-anti-muslim-policies</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360790/rally-in-bangladesh-slams-indias-leaders-for-blasphemy-anti-muslim-policies#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 22 15:13:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2360790</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Muslim leaders urge Dhaka to send formal condemnation message to New Delhi]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Bangladesh&rsquo;s biggest non-political Islamic platform, Hefazat-e-Islam, on Thursday held a big rally in the capital Dhaka in protest against defamatory comments about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by some officials of the Indian ruling party.

Leaders of the organisation called on the Bangladeshi government to send a formal condemnation message to the Indian authorities against disrespect to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

If the Indian government fails to punish the offenders, it would tarnish the constitutional image of the country as a secular state, Hefazat leader Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury said while addressing the rally.

The participants also chanted slogans against India&#39;s oppressive state policy targeting Muslims for a long time and urged all Muslims across the world to be united against any oppression.

The speakers called for a boycott of Indian products until the country abandons its anti-Muslim stance.

Also read:&nbsp;Indian police file case against BJP spokeswoman over blasphemous remarks

Last week, the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, the BJP&#39;s Delhi media head, made insulting remarks about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), triggering a wave of condemnation at home and from the Islamic world.

India, however, on Monday said the remarks do not reflect the views of the government, with the relevant bodies taking strong action against them.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson&nbsp;Arindam Bagchi also stressed that they &quot;do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India.&quot;

The BJP on Sunday said that it had suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal in response to the insulting remarks.

The ruling party of the South Asian biggest democratic state also issued a statement, saying, &ldquo;(The BJP party) strongly denounces insults of any religious personalities of any religion.&rdquo;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Rally-21654788442-0/Rally-21654788442-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Iranian foreign minister’s India visit overshadowed by row over anti-Islam remarks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360791/iranian-foreign-ministers-india-visit-overshadowed-by-row-over-anti-islam-remarks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360791/iranian-foreign-ministers-india-visit-overshadowed-by-row-over-anti-islam-remarks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 22 15:20:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2360791</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's visit comes days after insulting remarks by BJP spokespersons against Prophet (PBUH)]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Iran&#39;s foreign minister during his maiden state visit to India on Wednesday held wide-ranging talks with senior Indian officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian&#39;s visit came as New Delhi is facing a diplomatic storm over Islamophobic remarks made by spokespersons for India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Iran was one of the Muslim-majority countries that summoned Indian envoys to lodge an official protest over the matter.

In a tweet late Wednesday, Iran&#39;s top diplomat said he was &quot;pleased&quot; to &quot;advance the bilateral strategic dialogue,&quot; adding the two sides agreed &quot;on the need to respect divine religions, Islamic sanctities, and to avoid divisive statements.&quot;

Read more:&nbsp;Indian police file case against BJP spokeswoman over blasphemous remarks

According to a statement issued by Iran&#39;s foreign ministry, Amir-Abdollahian and his Indian counterpart Jaishankar discussed a wide range of strategic issues and the potential for expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two sides.

The two officials emphasised the need to &quot;prepare a roadmap to advance comprehensive strategic relations&quot; between the two countries.

They also discussed &quot;closer regional cooperation&quot; with a focus on peace and stability in Afghanistan and the need to help the crisis-stricken country overcome an economic quagmire, the statement noted.

The development of the strategic Chabahar Port in southeastern Sistan and Balochistan province, transportation, and corridors also figured in their discussions.

Amir-Abdollahian also met with Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday. In the meeting, both enumerated various areas of cooperation between the two countries.

In a tweet later, Modi termed the talks &quot;useful on the further development of centuries-old civilisational links between India and Iran.&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;Imran seeks strong action against Modi&#39;s India over &lsquo;hateful&rsquo; remarks

Amir-Abdollahian&#39;s first meeting of the day was with Ajit Kumar Doval, India&#39;s national security adviser, during which both officials stressed developing ties in various areas.

Iran, Amir-Abdollahian said, has no barriers to expanding its relations with India, while drawing Doval&#39;s attention to the sensitivity of Muslims regarding their religious figures.

Doval, for his part, expressed regret over the recent controversy involving the senior BJP spokespersons and said the wrongdoers shall be dealt with strictly.

Amir-Abdollahian became the first high-ranking foreign official to visit New Delhi since the controversy erupted last week, which came as a big embarrassment to the Modi-led government in New Delhi.

While bilateral and regional issues figured prominently in discussions between the two sides, Amir-Abdollahian&#39;s visit was overshadowed by the controversy over the anti-Islam remarks.

Upon his arrival at New Delhi Airport on Wednesday, Iran&#39;s foreign minister said he expected to hear Indian leaders speaking about the peaceful coexistence of all religions and sects while referring to the derogatory remarks about Islam and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

On the sidelines of his first official visit to New Delhi since assuming office late last year, Amir-Abdollahian also met with a group of senior clerics from the Shia and Sunni communities, in which he stressed the need to defeat conspiracies and threats through unity and coexistence, the foreign ministry&rsquo;s statement noted.

He said the recent controversy was &quot;not worthy of India,&quot; which has been a &quot;land of love and tolerance.&rdquo;

Several Middle Eastern countries have condemned India over the controversy, which the BJP government has blamed on &quot;fringe elements,&quot; distancing itself from the spokespersons.

&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/iran-fm-meets-modi1654788292-0/iran-fm-meets-modi1654788292-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>India’s BJP officials urged to ‘exercise caution’ amid protests over Islamophobic remarks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360470/indias-bjp-officials-urged-to-exercise-caution-amid-protests-over-islamophobic-remarks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360470/indias-bjp-officials-urged-to-exercise-caution-amid-protests-over-islamophobic-remarks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 22 16:35:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2360470</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Modi-led govt has emboldened hardline Hindu groups, stoking a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Leaders of India&#39;s Hindu nationalist ruling party on Tuesday instructed officials to be &quot;extremely cautious&quot; when talking about religion on public platforms after derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) drew protests from Muslim countries.

India&#39;s minority Muslims have felt more pressure on everything from freedom of worship to hijab head scarves under Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party. There were Hindu-Muslim clashes during religious processions recently, following deadly riots in 2019-20.

Two BJP leaders said the verbal instructions were given to over 30 senior officials and some federal ministers who are authorised to take part in debates hosted by Indian news channels often broadcast live to millions of viewers.

&quot;We don&#39;t want party officials to speak in a way that hurts the religious sentiments of any community...They must ensure the party&#39;s doctrine gets shared in a sophisticated manner,&quot; said a senior BJP leader and federal minister in New Delhi.

With about 110 million members, mainly Hindus, the BJP is the world&#39;s largest political party, while Muslims comprise around 13% of India&#39;s 1.35 billion population.

Last week, the BJP suspended the spokeswoman and expelled another official after Islamic nations demanded apologies from the Indian government and summoned diplomats to protest against the Islamophobic remarks made during a TV debate.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran were among the nations that made their complaints public.

Also read:&nbsp;India in the soup over insulting remarks

The influential 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said in a statement that the insults came in the context of an increasingly intense atmosphere of hatred toward Islam in India and systematic harassment of Muslims.

Although Modi&#39;s party has denied any rise in communal tensions during his reign, BJP rule has emboldened hardline Hindu groups in recent years to take up causes they say defend their faith, stoking a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment.

The US State Department, in an annual report on international religious freedom released in June, said that attacks on members of minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, took place in India throughout 2021.

India&#39;s foreign ministry said on Monday the offensive tweets and comments did not in any way reflect the government&#39;s views.

&quot;We are not barred from speaking on sensitive religious issues, but we must never insult the basic tenets of any religion,&quot; said senior BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal.

Modi in recent years has improved economic ties with energy-rich Islamic nations, the main source for India&#39;s fuel imports, but relations have come under stress from the anti-Islamic utterances of the two BJP members, foreign policy experts said.

Small-scale protests erupted in parts of India as Muslim groups demanded the arrest of the suspended BJP spokeswoman.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/blasphemy1654573767-0/blasphemy1654573767-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>BJP receives flak from Muslim countries over Islamophobic remarks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360248/bjp-receives-flak-from-muslim-countries-over-islamophobic-remarks</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360248/bjp-receives-flak-from-muslim-countries-over-islamophobic-remarks#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 22 07:10:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2360248</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Pakistan respond harshly to remarks, Qatar demands apology]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[India&#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) continued to receive flak over the weekend over its national spokesperson&#39;s blasphemous remarks against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Al Jazeera and Arab News reported on Monday.

BJP&rsquo;s national spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and Delhi media operation head Naveen Jindal were reported by the media to also have been expelled from the party.

Sharma&#39;s remarks had come during a televised debate, whereas Jindal had tweeted them out, in a Twitter post has now been deleted.

Following the backlash, Sharma posted on Twitter that she had said &quot;some things in response to comments made about a Hindu god but it was never an intention to hurt anyone&#39;s religious feelings&quot;.

&quot;If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement,&quot; she added.

Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s condemnation 

Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s government responded harshly to the comments made by the official of the Modi-led government, calling for the suspension of the spokesperson.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia expressed &ldquo;condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), insulting the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.&rdquo;



#Statement | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the #Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (#BJP), insulting the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. pic.twitter.com/VLQwdXuPuq
&mdash; Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) June 5, 2022


&nbsp;

The office called for &ldquo;respect for beliefs and religions&rdquo; and reaffirmed &ldquo;its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and symbols.&quot;

Qatar demands apology 

India&rsquo;s ambassador in Doha, Deepak Mittal, was ordered to Qatar&rsquo;s foreign ministry as an apology was demanded.

Read India under fire after Islamophobic remarks of BJP officials

In an effort to boost trade ties, India&rsquo;s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu was on a visit to the Gulf nation while the country demanded India apologise for Islamophobic remarks.



Spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs @majedalansari : Qatar Demands Public Apology from Indian Government for Remarks of Official in Ruling Party Against Prophet Mohammed#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/NnN1khKw6X
&mdash; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) June 5, 2022


&nbsp;

Mittal received and official protest letter from the ministry which stated, &ldquo;Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the government of India.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights,&rdquo; and &ldquo;will create a cycle of violence and hate,&rdquo; the document read.

India&rsquo;s ambassadors to Kuwait was also summoned on Sunday to receive an official protest letter over the derogatory comments.

OIC issues condemnation 

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemnaed the BJP official&#39;s remarks.

In a statement released, the second-largest intergovernmental organisation in the world, after the United Nations, stated that, &ldquo;The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the recent insults issued by an official in the ruling party in India towards the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him.&rdquo;

Cairo reacts 

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif University in Cairo also criticised the BJP official&#39;s behaviour calling it &ldquo;a real terrorist action that helps to push the entire world to devastating crises and bloody wars.&rdquo;

The varsity implored the international community to &ldquo;to firmly ward off such threats.&rdquo;

Al-Azhar established that the recent wave of political defamation of Islam was an outright call for extremism, hatred and conflict amongst religions.



Indonesia strongly condemns unacceptable derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad PBUH by two Indian politicians. This message has been conveyed to Indian Ambassador in Jakarta.
&mdash; MoFA Indonesia (@Kemlu_RI) June 6, 2022



Indonesia also strongly condemned the unacceptable derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by two Indian politicians.

&quot;This message has been conveyed to Indian Ambassador in Jakarta,&quot; Indonesia&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on its official Twitter handle.

Remarks &lsquo;totally unacceptable&rsquo;

Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign ministry also issued a statement in response to the &ldquo;highly derogatory remarks&rdquo; made by the official.

The statement read, &ldquo;These totally unacceptable remarks have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but of billions of Muslims around the world.&rdquo;

&ldquo;BJP&rsquo;s attempted clarification and belated and perfunctory disciplinary action against these individuals cannot assuage the pain and anguish they have caused to the Muslim world,&rdquo; the ministry said.

Former prime minister Imran Khan also strongly condemned the remarks, accusing the Modi government of &ldquo;deliberately following a policy of provocation and hatred towards Muslims in India including inciting vigilante violence against them.&rdquo;



Strongly condemn the hateful attack by a BJP spokesperson on our beloved Holy Prophet PBUH. Modi govt has been deliberately following a policy of provocation &amp; hatred towards Muslims in India including inciting vigilante violence against them.
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 5, 2022


BJP&rsquo;s response

The ruling Hindutva party on Sunday &ldquo;strongly denounced&quot; the &ldquo;insult of any religious personalities of any religion.&rdquo;

In a statement, the party maintained that, &ldquo;The Bharatiya Janata Party is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy.&rdquo;

Quoting the Indian Constitution, the statement upheld that every citizen has the right to pratice his/her religion, however, the statement did not directly reference the Islamophobic remarks or mention the sanctioning of the two party officials.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/81431-bjpjpg-1555060932/81431-bjpjpg-1555060932.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>SC irked over police becoming party to blasphemy case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2359491/sc-irked-over-police-becoming-party-to-blasphemy-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2359491/sc-irked-over-police-becoming-party-to-blasphemy-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 22 06:52:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2359491</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Justice Isa says police's job to provide security, not file cases; grants bail to accused]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa lambasted the prosecution on Wednesday as he questioned how the police had become party to a blasphemy case registered in Shujaabad.

The judge later granted bail to the accused citing the prosecution&#39;s lack of interest regarding the case.

&ldquo;How can the police become the plaintiff in a case [when] its job is to provide security&rdquo; he questioned. The SC judge also probed why the police officer register the case five days after the incident had occurred.

&ldquo;The job of the prosecution is to assist the judiciary and not defend such cases,&rdquo; Justice Isa chided.

Read Top court grants bail to blasphemy accused jailed for four years

&ldquo;Such actions bring disrepute to the state,&rdquo; added Justice Muhammad Amin.

The two-member SC bench, headed by Justice Isa, was hearing a blasphemy case registered against a 65-year-old. The defendant is accused of worshipping a local shrine in Shujaabad by circling&nbsp;around it.

In April this year,&nbsp;an anti-terrorism court had sentenced 88 convicts and acquitted one accused as it announced its verdict in the lynching case of Sri Lankan citizen Piryantha Kumara.

The trial court awarded death sentence on two counts to six convicts along with payment of Rs200,000 as compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased, under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997.

Nine convicted have been awarded life imprisonment along with payment of Rs200,000 fine each and Rs200,000 as compensation to the legal heirs.

At least 72 convicts were sentenced to two-year rigorous imprisonment each on three counts and one year each on two counts. Accused Ali Asghar has been awarded a sentence of five years and another accused Bilal has been acquitted of the charges.

Piryantha Kumara was working as a general manager at Rajco factory in Sialkot. On December 3, 2021, he was murdered by a mob on the allegations of blasphemy. Later, the mob set his body on fire. An FIR was registered in Ugoki police station in Sialkot.

Blasphemy cases in 2021

Muslims made up a large chunk of people accused of committing blasphemy in the year 2021, according to a new report.

A report titled &lsquo;Human Rights Observer 2022&rsquo; prepared by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has revealed that every second accused of blasphemy happened to be a Muslim, adding that as many as 84 persons had been booked under blasphemy charges throughout Pakistan in 2021.

Read more&nbsp;Violence over blasphemy allegations against Islam: CII

According to the report, 42 people accused of blasphemy were Muslims followed by 25 Ahmadis, seven Hindus and three Christians.

The report also noted that the issue of unverified and speculative accusations of blasphemy has deepened, leading to incidents of lynching and extrajudicial settlements.

The issue was further brought to light in the wake of a flurry of shocking incidents wherein suspects were lynched over mere suspicions.

Earlier this year, vigilantes in Khanewal village lynched a mentally unstable man for allegedly committing blasphemy. The tragedy came as a grim reminder of the Sialkot lynching, drawing condemnation from the government as well as opposition parties that believed the gruesome incident humiliated the entire nation.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/SC1652779579-0/SC1652779579-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Police barred from booking PTI leaders on blasphemy charges</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2356251/police-barred-from-booking-pti-leaders-on-blasphemy-charges</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2356251/police-barred-from-booking-pti-leaders-on-blasphemy-charges#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 May 22 06:28:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2356251</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[IHC says it is responsibility of the state to put end to use of religion for political gains]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the Islamabad police not to register blasphemy cases against the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the Masjid-e-Nabwi incident wherein &lsquo;unknown individuals&rsquo; harassed the members of the federal government.

The government had accused the PTI leadership of inciting the heckling and harassment of its members, including the information minister, at the mosque. Subsequently, several cases were registered across the country against PTI leaders, including Chairman Imran Khan, alleging blasphemy. The PTI had approached the IHC against the FIRs to seek relief.

During the hearing, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, one of the petitioners, said in the past no government had resorted to such tactics. &ldquo;We do not have any hope from the interior minister but the law minister is a &#39;literate&#39; person,&rdquo; he said, adding that the use of religion for political gains was condemnable.

CJ Athar Minallah asked whether the PTI leader trusted the bench. &ldquo;We do trust you...who else can we trust if not this court,&rdquo; he added. Justice Minallah said the use of religion in politics was not right and termed the cases against PTI a serious violation of fundamental rights.

Read 42 Muslims accused of blasphemy in 2021 

He said the blasphemy allegations resulted in the murder of Mashal Khan and Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot among others. Political parties should promote a culture of tolerance, he said, adding, &ldquo;In the hindsight, the cases registered in this context are not right.&rdquo;

Faisal Chaudhry, the counsel for the PTI, requested the court to examine the report of the Islamabad police. &quot;As per this report, investigations were underway over four complaints but no cases have been registered so far,&rdquo; he added. This is the job of the state, CJ Minallah responded.

The IHC CJ said the FIR copy available with the court doesn&rsquo;t even have the &ldquo;required ingredients&rdquo; to register the case. The religious feelings of the people should be respected but the state also has some duties, he said, adding that this court had dismissed a similar petition recently.

The use of blasphemy laws for political mileage was a &ldquo;blasphemous act in itself&rdquo;, Justice Minallah said, adding that in the past the state has remained involved in similar practices. &ldquo;What is the stance of the federal government on the issue,&rdquo; the IHC CJ asked. &ldquo;There are questions of serious nature in front of this court&hellip;either [the government] take the stance that the blasphemy law has not been misused in the past,&rdquo; the CJ added. He said innocent lives were lost due to the misuse of religion.

Justice Minallah asked how many people were nominated in the FIRs. Fawad replied at least &ldquo;500-700 people&rdquo; were booked by the government on such charges.

During the hearing, the IHC CJ said the Constitution had been insulted many a time over the past 70 years but the political leadership could correct this course. Fawad said it could be done if the &ldquo;leaders of the institutions&rdquo; also join the politicians. &ldquo;We have defined the concept of the &lsquo;state&rsquo; for you&hellip;the federal government cannot distance itself from the issue,&rdquo; IHC CJ Minallah added.

Read more Pakistani pilgrims held for &lsquo;disrespecting&rsquo; Masjid-e-Nabwi

&ldquo;If a perception is being created that the cases were registered due to political reasons [even] then it was the responsibility of the state to counter this impression.&rdquo; CJ Minallah further added the state had used religion in the past and put the lives of ordinary citizens in danger.

&ldquo;The government needs to tell this court how would it handle the current issue,&rdquo; he said, adding that the state should stop the use of religion by anyone for political gains. The IHC CJ urged the state to take effective steps to stop such practices.

Fawad said the PTI was ready to make a commitment that it would not use the &ldquo;religion card&rdquo; against its opponents and added that he wanted the same pledge from the government. It should be decided for once and all that religion will not be used in the political theatre. He requested the court to direct the government to withdraw these FIRs.

Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyab Shah said the incident at Masjid-e-Nabwi offended the religious sentiments of the citizens. He added that the cases were filed on the complaints of &ldquo;private persons&rdquo;. The court asked him to inform the bench about how these cases will be dealt with in the future.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/PTI1652344139-0/PTI1652344139-0.png" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Ali Zafar, Samina Peerzada condemn blasphemy case filed against IK, PTI leaders</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355105/ali-zafar-samina-peerzada-condemn-blasphemy-case-filed-against-ik-pti-leaders</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355105/ali-zafar-samina-peerzada-condemn-blasphemy-case-filed-against-ik-pti-leaders#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 22 09:51:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Entertainment Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2355105</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Celebrities urged people to not use religion for political gain]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Several celebrities, including singer Ali Zafar and actor Samina Peerzada recently took to social media to condemn the use of blasphemy allegations to settle political scores.

The outrage comes after an FIR under blasphemy laws was lodged against PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and other leaders of the previous government in Faisalabad over the recent incident of pilgrims, apparently supporters of the party, surrounding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&#39;s delegation in Masjid-i-Nabwi and shouting slogans.

OKB took to Twitter to write, &ldquo;Once again, religion is weaponised for political gain.&rdquo;



Once again, religion is weaponized for political gain.
&mdash; Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) April 30, 2022



Veteran actor Samina Peerzada, who is a staunch supporter of PTI, asked in a tweet, &ldquo;Does anyone know the punishment in Islam for those who make false accusations?&rdquo; referring to the blasphemy case against Imran and the party.



کسی کو معلوم ہے کہ بہتان لگانے والے کیے لئے اسلام میں کیا سزا ہے
&mdash; Samina Peerzada (@SaminaSays) May 2, 2022



Singer Ali Zafar wrote, &ldquo;For God&rsquo;s sake, stop using religion for political gain and instead of making personal attacks, focus your energies on the betterment of the people. We&rsquo;ve been seeing this play out since childhood.&rdquo;



خدا کا واسطہ مذہب کو سیاست کے لئے استعمال کرنا چھور دیں اور ایک دوسرے کی ذاتی کردار کشی کی بجائے لوگوں کی فلاح و بہبود پر تمام تر قوت کا استعمال کریں۔ بچپن سے یہی دیکھتے آئے ہیں۔ دنیاں مریخ پر پیر جمانے کے منصوبے بنا رہی ہے اور ہم زمین پر فساد۔ اپنے دلوں میں رحم پیدا کریں نہیں تو
&mdash; Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) May 1, 2022



He added, &ldquo;People in the world are attempting to gain a foothold on Mars and we are fighting on Earth. Make space for mercy in your heart.&rdquo;

The charges have been registered under sections 295, 295-A, 296, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections relate to harming a place of worship with intent to insult a religion, deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious sentiment, disturbing religious assembly and abetment.

Those who are named in the FIR include 150 people &ndash; Imran, Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir and Aneel Musarrat. Rashid&rsquo;s nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq has also been nominated in the case.

Complainant Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad, claimed that the incident at the holy site, videos of which went viral, was a &quot;planned out scheme and conspiracy&quot;.

He added that the videos shared on social media and speeches made by the PTI leaders prior to the coalition delegation&rsquo;s visit were proof of the alleged crime.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Picsart_22-05-02_13-19-31-8851651484272-2/Picsart_22-05-02_13-19-31-8851651484272-2.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Sheikh Rashid's nephew sent on two-day physical remand</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355091/sheikh-rashids-nephew-sent-on-two-day-physical-remand</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355091/sheikh-rashids-nephew-sent-on-two-day-physical-remand#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 22 06:50:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2355091</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Former interior minister's nephew was taken into custody on blasphemy charges over Masjid-e-Nabwi incident]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A district court in Attock on Monday approved a two-day physical remand of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed&#39;s nephew Rashid Shafiq.

Shafiq was taken into custody on Sunday at the Islamabad Airport when an FIR was lodged against him and former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in Faisalabad over the recent incident of pilgrims surrounding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&#39;s delegation in Masjid-e-Nabwi and shouting slogans.

Read Imran distances himself from Masjid-e-Nabwi incident

Shafiq and Sheikh, who also heads the Awami Muslim League (AML), were produced in the court earlier today as the police requested the court for physical remand of Rashid Shafiq. Subsequently, the judicial magistrate granted a two-day physical remand of the accused.

According to reports, strict security arrangements were made outside the court as scores of PTI workers chanted slogans in favour of Sheikh Rashid. Zulfi Bukhari, leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh and other leaders were also present to express solidarity with the AML leader.

Bukhari claimed that religion was being used for political vendettas. The PTI leader accused Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah for &ldquo;creating conspiracies&rdquo;. Alongside Rashid Shafiq, the FIR included 150 people &ndash; PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir and Aneel Musarrat.

The charges were registered under sections 295, 295-A, 296, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections relate to harming a place of worship with intent to insult a religion, deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious sentiment, disturbing religious assembly and abetment.

Read Imran to issue whitepaper on &lsquo;corruption of Sharif family&rsquo;

Complainant Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad, claimed that the incident at the holy site, videos of which went viral, was a &quot;planned out scheme and conspiracy&quot;.

Similar FIRs were registered in other cities of Punjab and police have started arresting PTI activists. A similar application has also been filed at Karachi&rsquo;s Aziz Bhatti police station.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/2317682-sheikhrashidshafiquearrestx-1651472663-8871651474719-0/2317682-sheikhrashidshafiquearrestx-1651472663-8871651474719-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>PTI gets IHC breather in Medina incident case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355096/pti-gets-ihc-breather-in-medina-incident-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355096/pti-gets-ihc-breather-in-medina-incident-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 02 May 22 08:00:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Saqib Bashir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2355096</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Court directs interior secretary to ensure Fawad isn't harassed]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In a breather to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the authorities concerned not to harass former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and other party leaders in connection with several blasphemy cases filed against them by the government following hooliganism by unknown individuals at Masjid-e-Nabwi last week.

The IHC told the interior secretary to make sure that the PTI leader was not harassed by the police or any other investigation agency and barred the government from taking further action against the PTI leader till the next hearing of the case.

The court also sent a copy of the orders to the National Assembly Secretariat.

Despite the holiday, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah fixed the hearing on the eve of Eidul Fitr on an urgent basis after the PTI filed a plea seeking a protective bail earlier in the day.

The petition requested the IHC to issue directions to state authorities, the police, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to &ldquo;immediately stop the unlawful and illegal harassment of Fawad and his colleagues&rdquo;.

During the hearing on Monday, Justice Athar Minallah asked whether Fawad was still a member of the National Assembly. His counsel Faisal Chaudhry said Fawad had resigned from the assembly but he had not been de-notified.

IHC CJ Minallah said the police could not arrest a lawmaker without the permission of the speaker.

In a comment on several cases against the PTI leaders, Chaudhry said as per a ruling by a seven-member bench the police could not register multiple FIRs regarding a single incident. He said the incident happened at Masjid-e-Nabwi, Saudi Arabia, while FIRs were registered in Pakistan.

Read: Govt holds Imran responsible for Masjid-e-Nabawi incident

The CJ said the court would issue directives to the Islamabad police that came under the jurisdiction of this court.

Meanwhile, the IHC also stopped the government from arresting Shahbaz Gill on his return from the United States. Gill is likely to return to Pakistan on May 4 as per his lawyer.

The counsel representing Gill said that the government had filed cases against his client to settle political scores. In his plea, Gill had said he was &ldquo;falsely implicated in the FIR in order to harass, pressurize, blackmail, and humiliate&rdquo; him.

Advocate Faisal Chaudhry read out the news conference of the interior minister in which the former had warned that stepping out of the home would become an ordeal for Sheikh Rashid and his colleagues.

The petition filed by PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry requested the high court to issue directions to the state authorities, including the police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to &ldquo;immediately stop the unlawful and illegal harassment of the petitioner and his colleagues&rdquo;.

It also sought the placement on record of all the FIRs registered in the various parts of the country against the petitioner and others on the issue of alleged blasphemy at Masjid-e-Nabwi. It requested the high court to stop the police and FIA from &ldquo;violating and disrespecting the privacy, honour of the families, and households of the petitioner and preserve the sanctity thereof&rdquo;.

Read More: Imran distances himself from Masjid-e-Nabwi incident

The authorities should inform &ldquo;the petitioner of the grounds and reasons for the registration of criminal cases against them, to ensure his fundamental rights to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice. And further to satisfy this august court before lodging any action against the petitioner&rdquo;.

In his plea, Fawad said the FIRs against the PTI leadership violated Article 4 (Right of Individuals to be dealt with in accordance with the law), Article 5 (loyalty to the state), Article 17 (freedom of association), Article 19, 19-A (right to information), and Article 68 of the Constitution.

The interior secretary, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the police chiefs of all provinces and the FIA director general were made respondents in the petition that termed the action against PTI leaders &ldquo;mala fide&rdquo;.

The FIRs

The FIRs were lodged on Sunday against former premier Imran and other top leaders of the party in Faisalabad and other cities of Punjab over their alleged involvement in the incident in Masjid-e-Nabwi, where some Pakistani pilgrims shouted slogans against the new government and ridiculed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal ministers.

The charges were registered under sections 295, 295-A, 296, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections relate to harming a place of worship with intent to insult a religion, deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious sentiment, disturbing religious assembly and abetment.

Those who are named in the FIR include 150 people &ndash; Imran, Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir and Aneel Musarrat. Rashid&rsquo;s nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq were also nominated in the case.

Complainant Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad, claimed that the incident at the holy site, videos of which went viral, was a &quot;planned out scheme and conspiracy&quot;.

He added that the videos shared on social media and speeches made by the PTI leaders prior to the coalition delegation&rsquo;s visit were proof of the alleged crime.

{{pdf}}]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/IHC1612166294-0/IHC1612166294-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Imran, other PTI bigwigs booked for blasphemy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2354994/imran-other-pti-bigwigs-booked-for-blasphemy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2354994/imran-other-pti-bigwigs-booked-for-blasphemy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 01 May 22 07:57:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2354994</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[FIR filed for ‘instigating activists’ to harass PM’s delegation and shout slogans in Masjid-i-Nabwi]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[An FIR under blasphemy laws was lodged against PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and other leaders of the previous government in Faisalabad, it surfaced on Sunday, over the recent incident of pilgrims, apparently supporters of the party, surrounding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&#39;s delegation in Masjid-i-Nabwi and shouting slogans.



بریکنگ نیوز :سابق وزیر اعظم اورچئیرمین پاکستان تحریک انصاف عمران خان @ImranKhanPTI
فواد چودھری @fawadchaudhry ، شیخ رشید ، شہباز گل @SHABAZGIL سمیت 150سے زائد افراد کے خلاف
Blasphemyکے الزامات کےتحت فیصل آباد میں مقدمہ درج کرلیا گیا ہے #EXCLUSIVE #BreakingNews #Blasphemy pic.twitter.com/1Qu6t3seav
&mdash; Asad Kharal (@AsadKharal) April 30, 2022


The charges have been registered under sections 295, 295-A, 296, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections relate to harming a place of worship with intent to insult a religion, deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious sentiment, disturbing religious assembly and abetment.

Those who are named in the FIR include 150 people &ndash; Imran, Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir and Aneel Musarrat. Rashid&rsquo;s nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq has also been nominated in the case.

Complainant Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad, claimed that the incident at the holy site, videos of which went viral, was a &quot;planned out scheme and conspiracy&quot;.

He added that the videos shared on social media and speeches made by the PTI leaders prior to the coalition delegation&rsquo;s visit were proof of the alleged crime.



A series of FIRs ordered under instructions of interior ministry, bring it on we will fight &hellip;. #Imported_Hakoomat_Namanzoor https://t.co/LHoE3nOG4w
&mdash; Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 30, 2022


He alleged that Imran, Fawad, Rashid, Gill and Suri were part of a conspiracy under which other PTI leaders then led delegations to Saudi Arabia to carry out the actions in the holy mosque, which were then posted on social media platforms.

Similar FIRs were registered in other cities of Punjab and police have started arresting the PTI activists.
The former interior minister&rsquo;s nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, was taken into custody on arrival at the new Islamabad airport from Saudi Arabia.

As the nephew of Rashid returned on Sunday morning, officers in civvies along with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration staff took him into custody.

Read Imran distances himself from Masjid-e-Nabwi incident

He was handed over to the Attock Police Station, as a case has also been registered there at the request of a local in the context of the Masjid-i-Nabwi incident. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah tweeted that there was no justification to not register a case against those who had violated the sanctity of Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).

&ldquo;The pilgrims were instigated under a plan. Some of the people had travelled to Saudi Arabia from Britain. There can be no forgiveness for what these people have done,&quot; he wrote.

An application has also been submitted to Islamabad&rsquo;s Margalla police station to book Imran, Rashid, his nephew and unidentified people for harassing people in Masjid-i-Nabwi.

Muhammad Naveed Bhatti, a resident of the federal capital, personally submitted an application to the Margalla SHO.



انشاللہ اس کا بھی مقابلہ کریں گے https://t.co/8NMGo7ofTi
&mdash; Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) April 30, 2022


The application stated that on April 27, Rashid delivered a news conference, telecast live on various local TV channels, in which he could be heard persuading PTI activists to visit Saudi Arabia with PM Shehbaz and his delegation and abuse them in Haramain Sharifain so that world would see what they could do to them.

He added that the activists of Rashid and Imran, under a well-conceived conspiracy, used extremely vulgar words at Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH), shouted slogans and harassed women. The applicant maintained that Imran and Rashid were &ldquo;inciting people to revolt with their provocative speeches&rdquo;.

He requested that a case should be registered against Imran, Rashid, his nephew and other people that could be seen in the videos viral on social media for blasphemy against Masjid-i-Nabwi and defamation of the country.

A similar application has also been filed at Karachi&rsquo;s Aziz Bhatti police station. (With input from our correspondent in Karachi)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Imran1651393379-0/Imran1651393379-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Bigotry towards minorities defames entire nation: SC</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2349814/bigotry-towards-minorities-defames-entire-nation-sc</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2349814/bigotry-towards-minorities-defames-entire-nation-sc#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 22 18:27:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hasnaat Malik]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2349814</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Top court overturns LHC order endorsing blasphemy charges against Ahmadis]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The top court has noted that bigoted behaviour towards minorities painted the entire nation in poor colour, labelling people of Pakistan as intolerant, dogmatic and rigid as it overturned a Lahore High Court order, which had endorsed the charges of blasphemy against members of the Ahmadiyya community on the allegation that they had styled their place of worship as a mosque and displayed Islamic symbols on its inner walls.

&quot;To deprive a non-Muslim (minority) of our country from holding his religious beliefs, to obstruct him from professing and practicing his religion within the four walls of his place of worship is against the grain of our democratic Constitution and repugnant to the spirit and character of our Islamic Republic,&rdquo; read nine-page judgment, authored by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who was heading a division bench hearing a petition against the offence of blasphemy on Ahmadi individuals.

It was also alleged that the electricity bill of the Ahmadi place of worship described it as a mosque.

On these allegations, the petitioners were put to trial. On November 23, 2020, the trial court had framed the charge against the petitioners for offences punishable under Sections 298-B and 298-C of the PPC.

Later, the complainant filed an application under Section 227 of the CrPC for alteration of the charges. He claimed that offences punishable under Sections 295-B and 295-C PPC were also attracted and should be added to the charges.

Also read:&nbsp;LHC sets aside BZU&#39;s suspension of Ahmadi&rsquo;s admission

The LHC also endorsed the inclusion of blasphemy charges against the petitioners.

The apex court posed the question as to that whether or not the allegations levelled in the crime report and the material collected in the course of the investigation attracted the commission of offences punishable under Sections 295-B and 295-C of the PPC.

The judgment noted that observations of this court and of the Federal Shariat Court were in line with the constitutional values enshrined in the preamble to constitution which require citizens to be tolerant as a people, believe in freedom, equality and social justice, and respect minorities and make adequate provisions for them to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures and to safeguard their legitimate interests.

The court noted that even though Article 260(3) of the Constitution declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, it neither disowned them as citizens, nor deprived them of their entitlement to their fundamental rights.

The court observed that to constitute an offence under Section 295-B, the reading thereof showed that the accused must have defiled, damaged or desecrated a copy of the Holy Quran or an extract therefrom or use it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose.

&quot;There is no allegation in the crime report that attracts the said offence. The courts below have held that the mere reading of the Kalima or the Holy Quran by a non-Muslim/Ahmadi attracts Section 295-C. This, in our view, is not only far-fetched, but also fails to meet the fundamental constituents of the crime, i.e., mens rea and actus reus. Only that which resides in the mind of a non-Muslim while reading the Holy Quran is not sufficient to constitute the offence.&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;Bail plea of Ahmadi man who &lsquo;tricked Muslim woman into marriage&rsquo; rejected

Similarly, the court added, to constitute an offence under Section 295-C of the PPC, there must be words spoken or written or by visible representation or any imputation, innuendo or insinuation, direct or indirect, which defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

&ldquo;In the instant case, the display of the Kalima and having the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) inside the place of worship do not attract the constituents of the said offence.&rdquo;

The verdict read what ran inside the mind of an Ahmadi while reading the Kalima did not constitute an offence punishable under Section 295-C of the PPC unless there was some overt act on his part that defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The court observed that the trial and revisional courts had not correctly examined the ingredients necessary to constitute the offences punishable under sections 295-B and 296-C PPC and the petition was therefore converted into an appeal and allowed.

&ldquo;The impugned order is reversed, the petition of the petitioners under Section 561-A CrPC is accepted and the orders of the trial and revisional courts are set aside. The trial of the petitioners shall proceed on the basis of the charge framed on 23.11.2020 only for offences punishable under Section 298-B and 298-C of the PPC.&rdquo;]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/2251832-SupremeCourtAFP1602537218-01603441301-0/2251832-SupremeCourtAFP1602537218-01603441301-0.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item>	</channel>
                </rss>
