Seminar calls for end to ‘mob justice’

Speakers call for broad-based dialogue on religious tolerance

LAHORE:

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and the Peoples Commission for Minorities Rights (PCMR) have expressed grave concerns over the increased tendency of mob violence in the name of religion, and have strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of at least 85 people (1986-2022) since the promulgation of strict blasphemy laws introduced during military ruler Ziaul Haq period.

The speakers at a seminar on “Let religion not justify violence” urged the political actors and religious leaders to go beyond the ceremonial condemnation, take action against the actors involved in hate crimes and provoke people to take the law into their hands.

The participants emphasised the need for a National Action Plan to counter religious extremism and intolerance.

Read: Blasphemy laws and the birth of mob vigilantism

They demanded of the government to initiate informed and serious debate in the legislative assemblies to adopt substantial measures to prevent the misuse of blasphemy laws and put an end to extra-judicial killings and mob violence.

The government needs to come out of the state of denial about hate crimes and violence in the name of religion and dismantle the infrastructure of religion-based intolerance.

Review and strengthen the NAP for counter-terrorism 2014.

Reassess and strengthen the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative including the civil society and media and strengthen the human rights protection systems. Hold a genuine dialogue on the issues of religious intolerance based on factual data involving all stakeholders.

Centre for Social Justice Executive Director Peter Jacob said lynching of suspected criminals at the hands of crowds, big and small, has lately become frequent an occurrence in Pakistan. Mob killings over accusations of blasphemy — a crime that can carry the death sentence — have been on the rise in Pakistan.

It is often assumed that these incidents involve gruesome acts of violence, yet sometimes these incidents are engineered and deliberate.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2022.