Pakistani president promises to protect minorities

According to Pakistani newspaper The Nation, President Asif Ali Zardari made the comments in a meeting with the Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti last Thursday.

Mr Zardari told the minister that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands or misuse the country’s laws.

He voiced his support for the ongoing dialogue taking place between Mr Bhatti and different faith leaders on the misuse of laws against minorities.

Christians have been campaigning for the repeal of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws for years. They say that Islamic extremists are misusing the laws to settle personal scores or expropriate land or other such possessions from Christians.

Human rights groups say Christians are often accused of blasphemy on trumped up charges. Those who are charged face years in jail or the death penalty, although so far all death sentences for blasphemy have eventually been overturned.

The country’s laws have come under scrutiny from the international community in recent months after a judge sentenced the first Christian woman to death for blasphemy last November.

Asia Bibi is in prison awaiting an appeal hearing to challenge the sentence. She is being transferred to a women’s only facility after radical Islamic militants threatened to blow up Sheikhpura Prison where has been held until now. Some Muslims have offered a reward for her life if she is freed.

According to Asia News, an official report noted an increase in the risk to Bibi’s life.

“The severity of threat to the life Asia Bibi spiked after the assassination of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer,” it stated.

Taseer was gunned down by his own bodyguard this month because of his support for Bibi’s release and a change to the blasphemy laws.

Fr Andrew Nisari, a spokesman for the Catholic archdiocese of Lahore, told AsiaNews: “It is good that Asia is being shifted, but the transfer should be kept confidential as the extremists are vigilantly looking for an opportunity to kill Asia Bibi. She should be flown in a helicopter as the matter is extremely serious.”