PTI to oppose amendment to blasphemy law

Minister says govt has submitted two adjournment motions to withdraw amendments

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will to oppose any amendment to section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) that deals with the blasphemy laws.

“Members of the PTI both in the Senate and the National Assembly will forcefully oppose any amendment to the blasphemy laws,” Qadri said on Friday while talking to media-persons.

Explaining the background of the proposed amendment, he said the amendment to section 295-C was approved by the previous cabinet. A bill could not be sent back for approval to the cabinet if it was already passed, he added.



Qadri said Federal Minister for Information Technology Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on September 27 submitted an adjournment motion in the National Assembly, seeking withdrawal of the proposed amendment.

“The PTI submitted another adjournment motion on October 11 for the same purpose,” he said, adding that the adjournment motion is yet to be taken up by the National Assembly. “The PTI government is determined to ensure preservation of section 295-C in its original form,” he added.