Govt to protect blasphemy law, minister tells NA

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadari on Monday told the National Assembly that the incumbent government would protect the blasphemy law in the Parliament and elsewhere.

“This is stand of the government that PTI and its allies will protect 295-C in the National Assembly and Senate and everywhere,” Noorul Haq Qadari said while responding to speech of the former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on floor of the National Assembly. The Minister, however, told the House that the government had nothing to do with decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which is prestigious institution.

Referring to agreement reached between the government and protestors, he said it was not new agreement of its kind and an agreement was also signed at Faizabad in the past also. “Then it took three weeks to reach agreement whereas we resolved the issue in three days,” he said.

He said it was opposition which also advised the government to refrain from use of force saying that Prime Minister Imran who was in China also desired that the issue be resolved peacefully.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan maintained that the rioters who damaged private and public property and burnt vehicles would not be spared. “Nowhere in the agreement it has been written that no action will be taken against miscreants”, he said adding that action would be taken against them according to the law. Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak also reminded the former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that opposition also stressed there should be no use of force against protestors.