Several clerics have issued fatwas against former Pakistani Minister Sherry Rehman and declared her an infidel for calling for changes in the blasphemy law.
According to a report by Xavier Patras William, the acting CEO of human rights organisation "Life for All", that has prompted activists to file a complaint with police in the port city of Karachi.
Media reports said the imam of Sultan Masjid, one of Karachi's biggest mosques, declared Rehman a "kaafir" (infidel) and "wajib-ul-qatl" (fit to be killed) while delivering a sermon after Friday prayers.
William said the mosque has close ties to the Saudi Arabian government.
According to William, Islamic hardliners who organised a massive rally in Karachi also published material calling Rehman a person who "has invoked the religious honour of Pakistan's Muslims" after calling for changes in the blasphemy law.
The threats came days after a police guard gunned down Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer for criticising the blasphemy law.
William said activists have filed a complaint against the imam of Sultan Masjid at the Darakhsan police station in Karachi.
The complaint was registered on behalf of Rehman, a senior leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Salmaan Taseer's son Shaan Taseer and journalist Ali Chishti.
In the complaint, William said, the activists alleged that the imam of Sultan Masjid had also praised Mumtaz Qadri, the policeman who assassinated Taseer.
Chishti told the media that activists feared for Rehman's life following the murder of the Punjab Governor.
According to William, the activists said they were proud to be Muslims but rejected murdering people in the name of Islam.
William said hardliners have been gunning for Rehman since she tabled a private bill in parliament to remove the mandatory death sentence for blasphemy.
Reports have said Rehman has been facing pressure from within the PPP to leave Pakistan for her own security.
According to William, security has been enhanced at Rehman's residence in Karachi and she has told the media she will not leave Pakistan.
-
Sarah Mullally has reasons to be cheerful after her first Synod but there are storms ahead
-
Christian and family groups denounce trans schools guidance
-
Church leader sees challenges and opportunities as research suggests openness to Christianity in the UK
-
Fewer than 1 in 3 churchgoers read the Bible daily
News
-
Church of England winds down Living in Love and Faith as deep divisions remain over same-sex blessings
-
2,000-year-old 'Pilgrim's Path' opens in Jerusalem
-
Turkey taken to task over Christians banned from the country
-
Christian nurse 'alarmed' after Phillipson says guidance on single-sex spaces will not apply to NHS
-
New research sheds light on why women are more religious than men
-
West has 'repeatedly failed Assyrian Christians'
Most Popular
News
God is the remedy for grief
To have loved deeply and to have been loved in return is one of life’s greatest gifts. But when that love is taken away, grief follows. And grief, in many ways, never fully leaves.
What does new school trans guidance mean for Scotland?
Although the draft guidance applies only to schools in England, there are ramifications for Scotland too.
Why is 1 Corinthians 13 often read at weddings?
St Paul wrote a timeless definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13, known as the “love chapter”, which is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible and is often read at weddings. This is the story …
Christian and family groups denounce trans schools guidance
While the guidance gets some things right, it still permits social transitioning.