Pakistan: Religious scholars pledge to continue their struggle against blasphemers

Karachi [Pakistan], September 11 : Religious scholars in Pakistan’s Karachi on Sunday pledged to continue their struggle against blasphemers, The News International newspaper reported.
They said their struggle would continue until effective legislation and comprehensive amendments were made to the Constitution, adding that in any society, it is not permissible for an individual to speak against the holiest personalities of another community.
The News International is an English-language newspaper in Pakistan.
The scholars expressed these views in a conference called “Azmat-e-Sahaba Wa Ahlul Bayt Istehkam-e-Pakistan,” which took place at Shahrah-e-Quaideen on Sunday under the auspices of the Karachi Scholars Committee.
The conference was attended by representatives from various religious groups, including Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat leaders Allama Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, Allama Aurangzeb Farooqi, Islamic scholars Manzoor Ahmed Mengal, Molana Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, Qari Abdul Wahab and others.
The religious scholars emphasised the urgent need to legislate against those who blaspheme against the companions of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and the family of the Prophet (Ahlul Bayt). “Blasphemy against the holy personalities will not be tolerated,” they added, as per The News International.
“The companions and Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) are unparalleled and sacred personalities to all Muslims. They must be respected and no one has the right to disrespect them or make derogatory remarks against them.”
They said that they wouldn’t compromise on the honour of the Prophet’s companions and family and expressed their determination to continue their legal struggle against blasphemers and to bring those responsible for derogatory remarks to justice, according to The News International.
National and provincial assemblies were urged to work diligently on the legislation, adding that the personalities of the Prophet, the companions, and the family of the Prophet are the standards of their faith and without them, their faith cannot be complete.
The religious scholars announced plans to establish a committee comprising scholars from all schools of thought of [the Sunni sect], which will oversee all programmes, protests, marches, and sit-ins related to this cause. They stressed that the individuals who have not yet been investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the blasphemy cases should be put under the FIA scrutiny, and those who have been charged under the FIA Act should be arrested, as per The News International.
Meanwhile, people criticized the security agencies after they took a Christian couple in custody over an alleged blasphemy case that was registered against them for allegedly desecrating a copy of the Quran in Lahore.
According to Dawn, Taimur, a resident of Harbanspura, filed a complaint with the police, saying he was standing at a food shop on a street near the Rangers headquarters when he saw some pages being thrown from the roof of a nearby house.
He picked up the pages, which were found to be from the Holy Quran.
The North Cantonment police registered a blasphemy case against the woman, identified as Kiran and her husband Shaukat Masih for their alleged involvement in desecrating the holy scripture. The case was filed under Section 295-b of the Pakistan Penal Code.
SP Awais Shafique told the media that both suspects had been arrested and were now awaiting legal proceedings, the Dawn reported.