In Islamabad, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has made the decision to arrange a meeting with PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as well as other party members who are currently in detention.
This decision was reached during a committee meeting led by Chairman Senator Waleed Iqbal on Tuesday.
In response to the committee members’ requests, the committee has directed that all necessary measures be taken to facilitate a meeting with Imran Khan and other political detainees, including Parvez Elahi.
Imran Khan has been in judicial custody in the cipher case and has been detained at Attock prison since his arrest on August 5, following a conviction in the Toshakhana case. During the meeting, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed mentioned that he had previously met with Senator Azam Swati and emphasized that Parvez Elahi should also be recognized as a political detainee.
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Furthermore, he stressed the importance of meeting all political detainees. PTI Senator Falak Naz Chitrali expressed concerns about Imran Khan’s condition in jail and raised the issue of the arrest of female PTI workers, stating that 35 PTI women have been detained without charges for several months. The committee decided to hold a separate meeting to address Imran Khan’s arrest and the detention of PTI’s female workers.
Senator Iqbal confirmed that the committee would schedule a meeting for this month, focusing on the arrests of the PTI leader and the party’s female members. The committee has decided to meet with Imran Khan and the incarcerated party members.
Chitrali suggested visiting the imprisoned women to gain a better understanding of their situation, to which Senator Iqbal responded positively, assuring Chitrali that they would visit the women in jail and discuss the matter with the Senate chairman.
Regarding the Jaranwala incident, the committee strongly condemned the violent mob attack on numerous houses and churches, which was fueled by allegations of blasphemy. This incident raised concerns about the misuse of blasphemy laws in the country.
The committee expressed embarrassment over such incidents and discussed the steps taken in the aftermath. The committee chair requested details of individuals detained under blasphemy laws in the next meeting.
During the hearing, Ministry of Human Rights Secretary Allah Dino Khowaja briefed the committee on the Jaranwala incident, revealing that two Christian youths were accused of desecrating the Holy Quran, leading to the violent mob attack. Khowaja also informed the committee that dozens of homes were damaged in the rampage, and it was decided that 92 affected families would be compensated.
Khowaja highlighted the lack of coordination between the federal and provincial authorities and proposed the formation of a national coordination committee, a suggestion that the committee endorsed, emphasizing the need for improved policing and coordination to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The issue of the country’s blasphemy law was raised during the meeting by PTI’s Seemee Ezdi, who suggested that it needed to be revisited and re-evaluated due to the increasing frequency of such incidents. PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui, on the other hand, argued for the necessity of a legal framework to prevent blasphemy.
Ezdi assured Siddiqui that the path to justice would not be obstructed and that the blasphemy law would be thoroughly reviewed.
The debate over the blasphemy law in Pakistan has long been contentious, with some arguing for its revision on grounds of religious freedom and human rights, while others assert its necessity to maintain social order and protect religious sentiments.