2014-11-20 19:12:00

Pakistan: Bishops demand the government for impelling measures to curb intolerance


With growing intolerance against minorities in Pakistan the bishops of Pakistan have approached the Government pushing for immediate measures to end the increasingly dangerous trend in the country. The Episcopal Conference of Pakistan and the Association of Major Superiors in a strong appeal to the Federal Government states that "the increase in violence and religious intolerance threatens social and civil life in Pakistan" and highlights "the failure of the civil and the judiciary administration". Therefore urgent "measures cannot be delayed.”

In the wake of the dastardly killing of a Christian couple by mobs a fortnight ago and the mounting incidents of extra judicial killings citing the blasphemy law the highest Catholic authorities in the country have elaborated a document, which is signed by the President of the Episcopal Conference, Mgr. Joseph Coutts, Archbishop of Karachi, and by the representative of the Major Superiors, Fr. Pascal Paulus OP., submitting requests to the executive branch of government and the Supreme Court.

"The murder of Shahzad Masih and Shama Bibi in Kasur recalls that intolerance in the name of religion has gone far beyond the rule of law: summary judgement violates the Constitution and the Criminal Code", said the text sent to Fides. "Such incidents reflect a lack of governance, the failure of the civil and the judiciary administration, which ensure the impunity of these crimes against humanity", the Bishops explain.

The Catholic Church therefore asks for "impelling measures" so that such incidents do not happen again and submits a "Magna Charta" to the government and the Supreme Court, in which it asks: to promote an independent and rapid inquiry into the events of Kasur, for "instant justice", which constitutes a clear precedent; to consider the Islamic clerics who instigated the violence responsible; to take action to stop the abuse of the blasphemy law; to prevent such incidents by training the police; to implement the recommendations made last June by the chief judge of the Supreme Court, for the protection of religious minorities.

(Source: Agenzia Fides) 








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