Over 150 arrested for attempting to hold 'pro-blasphemy law' demonstration in Lahore

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http://www.dawn.com/news/1306374/ov...old-pro-blasphemy-law-demonstration-in-lahore

IMRAN GABOL — UPDATED about 5 hours ago
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A container blocks off an underpass to Gulberg. ─ Photo by author.
Over 150 people were arrested as religious parties attempted to hold a demonstration in favour of the blasphemy law in Punjab's provincial capital Wednesday on the death anniversary of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.

Protesters belonging to the Sunni Tehreek, Tehreek-i-Khatme Nabuwat and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah were among those who had planned to march from Kalma Chowk to Liberty Chowk in favour of the blasphemy law.

The provincial government, however, did not permit the holding of the rally, after which police erected blockades in different parts of Lahore to prevent a gathering.

Deputy Inspector General Operations Haider Ashraf told Dawn that over 150 members of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah had been arrested. He added that more arrests will be made, and that no one had permission to hold a rally in Lahore.

Superintendent Police (SP) Security Ibadat Nisar said the Punjab government had not allowed the demonstrators to hold any rally in Lahore. He said that police would not allow the demonstrators to reach their destination and would block routes and make arrests if necessary.

Main Gulberg and all arteries leading to it have been blocked from Barkat Market to Main Market and police have been heavily deployed across the city.

Residents in Lahore are facing severe traffic jams along certain routes due to the diversions.

Taseer, a former governor of Punjab and an outspoken advocate for blasphemy law reform, was gunned down by his security guard Mumtaz Qadri the same day six years ago.

A pro-blasphemy law protest had also been planned for Rawalpindi today, according to reports circulating on social media.

Open support for Taseer's killer
On Taseer's death anniversary, banners proclaiming Mumtaz Qadri as a hero cropped up in various cities. The banners call people to commemorate 'Youm-i-Namoos-i-Risalat'.

Nearly a year after the hanging of Qadri, a shrine is being built in his memory in Bhara Kahu, not far from the capital where he was brutally gunned down.

A month after Taseer's killer was executed, a mob of pro-Qadri protesters led by the Sunni Tehreek and the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool (SAW) converged on the capital and besieged Islamabad's Red Zone.

The stand-off between the government and protesters ended without a showdown after three days and several rounds of negotiations between both parties.
 

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UAE joins US-led call against abuse of blasphemy

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates on Thursday joined a US-led call to prevent the abuse of blasphemy laws, which are on the books in much of the Islamic world.

The United Arab Emirates was one of only three Muslim-majority nations along with Albania and Kosovo, both known for moderation, that signed a statement on blasphemy and apostasy laws at the end of a ministerial-level meeting on religious freedom in Washington.

The statement noted that the laws “are often used as a pretext to justify vigilantism or mob violence in the name of religion, or as a pretext to pursue retribution related to personal grievances.”

“We see governments using such laws to wrongfully imprison and punish individuals whose views on matters of religion or belief may differ from official narratives or the views of majority populations,” it said.

“We call on governments that utilize these laws to free any individuals imprisoned on such grounds, and to repeal blasphemy, apostasy and other laws that impede the exercise of freedoms of expression and religion or belief, in a manner inconsistent with international law.”

Blasphemy remains a punishable offense in the United Arab Emirates.

The latest State Department report on religious freedom said, quoting local press, that a court in July 2018 sentenced a man to seven years in prison followed by deportation for a phone message deemed to be blasphemous.

But the United Arab Emirates, a close US ally, has won international praise for recent steps including welcoming Pope Francis in February on the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula.

The United Arab Emirates also held a conference as part of the US religious freedom initiative, a key priority for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Blasphemy is an especially explosive issue in Pakistan, where Christian woman Asia Bibi was sentenced to death and two of her high-profile defenders assassinated before she was able to leave for Canada in May.

Vice President Mike Pence, addressing the ministerial earlier on Thursday, urged Pakistan to free another person jailed for blasphemy, university lecturer Junaid Hafeez.

A total of 20 countries signed the joint statement on blasphemy including the United States, Britain, Italy, and Poland.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/07/19/uae-joins-us-led-call-against-abuse-of-blasphemy/
 

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