The National Assembly on Sunday passed a resolution—amidst opposition by lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC)—stressing on the right to life of every citizen of Pakistan, as enshrined in the Constitution.
The resolution was passed during the ongoing debate on the Finance Bill 2024, as the country reels from several incidents of unrest and mob violence over blasphemy allegations, with minorities disproportionately targeted. Presented by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the resolution emphasizes the need to deal with every person in accordance with law.
“This House takes serious notice of the recent mob lynchings of our citizens accused of offenses in Swat and Sargodha,” it states, referring to individuals targeted by enraged mob over blasphemy allegations. In Sargodha, a Christian man was initially saved by police but eventually succumbed to his injuries while in Swat a man was lynched and his body set alight over alleged desecration of the Quran.
Condemning these incidents, the resolution stressed that such actions were intolerable in any civilized society. “The House, therefore, strongly urges the federal and provincial governments to ensure the safety and security of all our citizens, including religious minorities and other vulnerable segments of society,” it states, demanding the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments take “all necessary measures” to identify, investigate and prosecute under relevant laws all those responsible.
“The House also expects that the courts shall ensure immediate and speedy justice in these cases,” it added.
Cases of mob violence related to blasphemy allegations have mushroomed in recent years, with the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan group linked to a majority of them.
In an address to the Lower House, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif expressed deep concern over the surge in incidents of violence against minorities, stressing this was embarrassing to the country on an international scale. “Pakistan is not the country of a single person. Every Pakistani who lives here is an equal citizen. All Hindus, Christians and Sikhs are equal citizens,” he said and urged the National Assembly to send a clear signal that Parliament was committed to protecting the rights of minorities across Pakistan.
“Our Constitution does not allow violence and the killing of innocents in the name of religion. People are exploiting religious sentiments for personal disputes,” he said, adding the adoption of the resolution was essential to improve the country’s international reputation.