It is clear that the criminal justice system in Pakistan has lost all meaning. There is, in fact, no sense of law and order left and with people taking matters into their own hands, only might prevails. We have seen such incidents before — we see them now again. An 80-year-old man, acquitted by a court late last year on blasphemy charges, and recently released, was shot dead in his hometown of Sheikhupura, apparently by the same man who had accused him in 2011.
According to the family of the victim, octogenarian Iqbal Butt, the accusation of blasphemy arose after a sharp verbal exchange between him and the cleric Maulvi Waqas, the khateeb of the local mosque; as has happened time and again before, protests by local clerics who were instigated by Waqas, led to charges being brought against the old man, which in turn led to his arrest. After hearing the case, he was found innocent by court, while a committee of ulema in Sheikhupura — who examined the matter — reached precisely the same verdict.
Despite all this, Iqbal Butt suffered the ultimate punishment — death. It came at the hands of fanatics who were unwilling to accept the court’s verdict or show mercy for an old man, who had already spent months in prison, despite the fact that he had committed no offence. We have seen such happenings occur repeatedly, with men accused of blasphemy having been killed in courts or in jail cells. Human rights groups have repeatedly established that most blasphemy cases in our country arise as a means to settle petty scores — over property, over business or over other matters. This trend continues. Trifling attempts to improve matters have failed, and it seems that swift change is unlikely. Certainly, too little is being done to bring this change about, which is why we continue to see tragedies of the kind most recently enacted in Sheikhupura, with Maulvi Waqas and his accomplice, who shot Iqbal, having so far escaped arrest — like so many others responsible for similar crimes in the past.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2012.
COMMENTS (8)
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@SaQiB
An 80-year-old man, acquitted by a court late last year on blasphemy charges, and recently released due to insufficient evidences
Since you are so keen on killing all those who are relesed due to insufficient evidences let me give you a list.
A. Hafiz Saeed of JUD
B. Malik Ishaq of LeJ
C. Maulana Ahmed Ludhwani of SSP (Gojra fame)
What action do you propose?
PS- Has it ever occured to you the 'insufficient evidence' may actually mean a false accusation.
@Mirza: Absolutely right. In this ' land of holy people' executive, judiciary, legislature, media and common man all are busy in point scoring trying to show them up in the highlights. Our judges trying to be the celebrities of country and the self proclaimed saviour. They invest all their time and abilities to trap president zardari. They don't have time to look into these small matters like assisnation of a Governor or killing of an acquitted oldman. So don't expect from ' the supreme court' any thing small. They are there to look and solve the big matters you know... Exective is struggling to safeguard his own chair. Legislature is worse as majority of them don't even know why they have been elected. This bunch of 'graduate lawmakers' think that election is just a trade or business invest money and get money. And a few who are a bit honest, they think that by making one or two roads in their constituency their job is done. So is the story with media. May Allah help my poor country....!!!
Maulvi Waqas must be hanged??
Is that what Pakistan has been turned into - a nation where blasphemers are set free and aashiq-e-rasool hanged?
What else will we all live to hear?
Misuse of the blasphemy law needs to be addressed. The accuser should be subject to the same punishment as the accused if the charge is found invalid. This will remove the aspect of this law being misused for personal reasons.
@ ET..... it would have been better if you reveal the whole fact............. it was like
but since most of the ET articles are pro-dramatization and sensationalism, its no surprise to me................
It appears the problem is not the blasphemy law alone but minds which have been brainwashed by Mullahs in the mosques and at schools when Diniat lessons are given to young minds. We can keep drumming about the law, which I admit needs to be changed to modern days, but more emphasis should be given to what we teach the faithful in schools and masques. Start an effort to interpret Quran in more liberal, as some would say in this 21st century mode. That is the only way our future generations will understand your message of tolerance. But it appears that is harder task fort he liberal press to advocate. Fear of the conservative will make us more and more conservative. I doubt if this is going to happen. Even a comment like this will probably not see the light. This is case of nobel talk with no effects.
BTW, where is confessed killer Qadri? The judge and his family have run away and hiding but he is showered with roses. Qadri has become a symbolic Osama bin forgotten and nobody talks about him let alone hanging him. Excuse me he is not the elected PM so there is no rush to hear his case or appeals it is not Memogate or contempt!