Pakistan: The blasphemy law in Pakistan which has long been used to subjugate the minorities in the countries is now being used for another reason. It is employed to silence the women fighting for their rights.
A major report stated that two Pakistani courts have asked the respective authorities to register cases against the organizers of last month’s Pakistan’s Women March. The case is registered for violating the blasphemy law which carries a death sentence for anyone who insults Islam.
The Aurat March was organized to observe International Women’s Day in various cities of Pakistan which includes Lahore, Hyderabad, Karachi, and Islamabad. A petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court to ban the annual gathering.
The petitioner accused that during the Women’s March, blasphemous slogans were used. But the organizers said that the participants did not raise such slogans.
Shazia Khan, a Lahore-based activist stated that to maintain a low profile following the accusations and legal cases, friends and relatives have pressurized them. She said, “Hatemongers and misogynistic media personalities have been spewing venom against us, jeopardizing the lives of women in a country where people are killed merely due to false accusations of blasphemy”.
The organizers on Twitter were also threatened by the terrorist group Tehreek Taliban Pakistan. The tweet read, “Fix your ways. There are still many young Muslims here who know how to protect Islam and the boundaries set by Allah”.
