Pakistani Parliament calls for reform of blasphemy laws after lynching of student.
There have been fresh calls within Pakistan’s Parliament to reform the nation’s Blasphemy Laws. The resolution follows the mob-killing of a student earlier this month.
Pakistan’s top court is investigating the murder of the journalism student from Abdul Wali Khan University in North-West Pakistan, for promoting ‘blasphemous’ content on social media. The student had not been formally charged under the laws and it is thought that the attacks followed rumours about the student’s social media postings that were circulating at the university.
Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a resolution condemning the lynching, describing it as ‘cold blooded murder’. They went on to express their determination to ‘ensure that strong safeguards may be inserted into the blasphemy law to prevent its abuse through such atrocities in the future.’
Another student was injured in the incident which took place on the university premises, According to reports, a total of 45 people have been detained in connection with the mob attack which prompted officials to close the entire campus out of fears for security.
This isn’t the first time that the highly controversial laws have been condemned within Pakistan’s Parliament. However all such calls have faced strong opposition, with one senior politician being assassinated for speaking out on the matter. Nevertheless this latest resolution is clearly something to be welcomed and another reason to continue praying for the repeal of the laws.