Christians protest against the blasphemy law in Karachi, Tuesday 11 August 2009.
(AP)
Shabaz Bhatti told hundreds of Christians in London on Saturday that the Pakistani government was ready to review the notorious blasphemy law that is routinely misused by Islamic extremists to attack and imprison Christians.
He acknowledged that Christians were being attacked, imprisoned and killed under the pretext of committing blasphemy and that the blasphemy charges being brought against Christians were false.
The blasphemy laws, he continued, had created intolerance, disharmony and a “sense of insecurity” among minorities.
He was speaking at the annual conference of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a UK-based charity that supports the persecuted church worldwide and has long campaigned for Pakistan’s blasphemy laws to be repealed.
“The blasphemy laws have remained a tool in the hands of extremists to victimise minorities and innocent Muslims in Pakistan,” said Mr Bhatti, the first Christian Minorities Minister.
In the wake of the recent attacks in Gojra and Korian, which left eight Christians dead, he said the government was determined not to allow any more innocent Christians to be victimised.
“We will not allow the forces of intolerance and believers of extremism to destabilise our country and to capture our beloved country for their devilish design,” he said.
The government is in consultation with political parties, church leaders, civic organisations, and Islamic scholars to table legislation against the blasphemy law and a minority protection Bill to ensure religious freedom for all citizens.
The consultation follows the recent introduction of a five per cent job quota in the government for minorities. He said the government was planning to roll the quota out to government offices across the country.
It has also set up district inter-faith committees consisting of 12 Muslim and 12 non-Muslim leaders that will monitor inter-faith relations and make recommendations to the government.
Mr Bhatti: “In many cases of violence, it is not only the law which is creating disharmony. It is the mindset of the people who take advantage of the law and the situation and they instigate and incite the people to kill the Christians, the minorities and the innocent people so we need to work to change the mindset of the people and through these intiatives and others we can bring a change in their mindset.”
He appealed to Christians in the UK to pray for believers in Pakistan and spare one minute a day to pray for him as he works for religious freedom in the country.
