UN official raps Pakistan's blasphemy, parallel justice system

[The HBS Guy]

UN official raps Pakistan's blasphemy, parallel justice system​

A UN special representative has expressed serious reservations about Pakistan's blasphemy law, weak prosecution and a parallel justice system functioning under the Federal Shariah Court.

Gabriela Knaul, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, said Pakistani judges were often pressured to convict people accused under the controversial blasphemy law that calls for the death sentence for anyone insulting Islam.

Knaul, who was on an 11-day visit to Pakistan to examine the country's judicial system, told a news conference yesterday that lawyers too were reluctant to defend clients accused under the blasphemy law because of threats.

"I am especially concerned regarding cases brought under the so-called blasphemy law as it was reported to me that judges have been coerced to decide against the accused even without supporting evidence," she said.

"They are afraid of reprisals by local communities because of their interpretation of the law. Lawyers representing people accused of blasphemy are often targeted and unable to represent their clients", she said.

Knaul said it was a matter of concern that the blasphemy law was being misused to target women and deprive them of fundamental rights.

The controversial blasphemy law includes the death penalty for anyone insulting Islam, the Quran or Prophet Muhammad.

Rights groups have said that the law has often been misused to settle personal scores or family feuds against members of Pakistan's minority communities, especially Christians.

Last year, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian, were assassinated after they spoke out against the blasphemy law.

Knaul said she was concerned that there were currently no women in Pakistan's Supreme Court and only two women in High Courts.

"Many stages of the justice system, starting with filing a case with police, to accessing lawyers and appearing and testifying before courts are gender-biased and therefore impede the full functioning of justice for women," she said.

While urging the government to provide better security to judges and lawyers, Knaul said judges, prosecutors and lawyers working on cases related to terrorism and organised crime are often the target of threats and attacks.

Expressing concern at the Federal Shariah Court, Knaul said: "I believe that the existence of two superior courts in the Constitution is problematic and leaves space for interpretations".

Knaul lauded the Supreme Court for taking up cases related to human rights abuses, such as the issue of "missing persons" or those detained without charge by security agencies, but called for clear criteria guiding the use of suo moto powers.

"I am concerned by the lack of clear criteria guiding the use of suo moto, which can undermine its own nature and may jeopardise other pending cases from being timely considered by the Supreme Court," she said.

Knaul released a preliminary report at the conclusion of her visit to Pakistan.

She was the first mandate holder of a Special Procedure of the Human Rights Council to undertake an official mission to Pakistan after 13 years.

She will present her final report at a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

UN official raps Pakistan's blasphemy, parallel justice system - World - DNA

 

[Nelson]

So now its official that its a pathetic law??

 

[GR!FF!N]

Blasphemy law is a complex thing and a man can even get death sentence if they even dance with an woman or read a banned book...i don't know how Pakistan even passed that law.

and here is one case...

"The police arrested Ayub Masih, a Pakistani Christian bricklayer for blasphemy on 14 October 1996 and jailed him for violation of § 295-C. Muhammad Akram, a Muslim neighbour to Masih, complained to the police that Masih had said Christianity was right, and Masih had recommended that Akram read Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses.[9][28] The same day that Masih was arrested, Muslim villagers forced the entire Christian population of Masih's village (fourteen families) to leave the village. Masih's family had applied under a government program that gave housing plots to landless people. Local landlords resented Masih's application because the landlords had been able to oblige landless Christians to work in the fields in exchange for a place to live. Masih's application gave him a way out of his subservience to the landlords.[10] Upon Masih's arrest, the authorities gave Masih's plot to Akram.[9] Akram shot and injured Masih in the halls of the Session Court at Sahiwal on 6 November 1997. Four assailants attacked Masih in jail. The authorities took no action against Akram or against the other assailants.[9] On 20 April 1998, Judge Abdul Khan sentenced Masih to death and levied a fine of 100,000 rupees. Two judges of the Lahore High Court heard Masih's appeal on 24 July 2001. Shortly thereafter, the judges affirmed the judgment of the trial court.[9] On 16 August 2002, the Supreme Court of Pakistan set aside the judgment of the lower courts. The Supreme Court noted Akram's acquisition of Masih's property and concluded the case had been fabricated for personal gain. The court also noted other breaches in the law of due process"


Blasphemy law in Pakistan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


and the blue part is the funny part

 

[The HBS Guy]

Actually the UN official's comments are very serious, especially about the Pakistani judicial system.