The Pakistani Supreme Court has said that calls for reform of the country’s blasphemy law are not an affront to religion.

The statement was made in a written order to dismiss Mumtaz Qadri’s appeal against his death sentence.

It also urged the state to ensure that people are not subjected to investigations or trials on the basis of false allegations.

Qadri was sentenced to death for murdering the governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer on 4 January 2011.

In the order, the judges also said that in the absence of adequate safeguards against abuse of the blasphemy law, people falsely accused of the offence suffer irrevocably.

While the court acknowledged committing blasphemy is abhorrent, it said that levelling false allegations against someone is equally despicable.