Strike over blasphemy law change bid affects life across Pakistan

A strike called by hardliners and religious parties to oppose any move to amend or scrap the controversial blasphemy law affected life across Pakistan, with public transport going off the streets and shops and businesses remaining shut.

The Tehrik Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Risalat, a loose grouping of religious parties, went ahead with the strike despite religious affairs minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah's announcement in parliament on Wednesday that the government has no plans to amend or repeal the law.

Banned militant groups operating under new names, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, have backed the strike that was observed in the main cities of Pakistan’s four provinces.

In Islamabad, shops and businesses were closed as protestors joined rallies organised by the religious parties.

The largest congregation gathered at the radical Lal Masjid.

In their sermons, some imams said changes would be made to the blasphemy law only over their dead bodies.

The clerics called for the resignation of parliamentarian and Pakistan People's Party leader Sherry Rehman, who has submitted a private bill for changing provisions of the law.

The rallies in Islamabad will culminate with a meeting at Aabpara, an area near the Lal Masjid where radical groups usually hold their gatherings.

In the financial hub of Karachi, all markets and businesses were shut and commuters faced difficulties due to lack of public transport.

Additional security personnel were deployed across the port city even though organisers of the strike made little or no effort to enforce it.

The strike was also observed in cities across central Punjab province, including Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan, and in provincial capitals of Peshawar in the northwest and Quetta in the southwest.

Religious groups organised rallies and demonstrations in most of these cities. At some places, protestors blocked key roads and highways and held up traffic.

The PPP-led government has distanced itself from lawmaker Sherry Rehman's bill, which aims to remove the mandatory death sentence for persons convicted of blasphemy.

Religious affairs minister Shah said efforts to organise protests by exploiting religion were detrimental to the country's interest.

The blasphemy law enacted during the 1980s has been at the centre of a contentious debate after a lower court in Punjab province sentenced Asia Bibi, a 45-year-old Christian woman, to death last month for insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Asia Bibi has denied the charges and said she was framed following a row with Muslim women of her village.

Rights groups and liberals have complained that the law is often misused to settle personal and political scores and to persecute religious minorities.

In a recent case, a doctor from a minority Islamic sect was arrested for alleged blasphemy after he threw the visiting card of a sales representative with the first name Muhammad in his dustbin.

No one convicted under the law has been executed but over 30 accused, including Muslims, have been killed by lynch mobs.

Religious groups and hardliners have planned a series of protests in support of the blasphemy law.

A rally will be held in Karachi on January 9 to decide the future strategy of the religious groups.

The protests over the law have come at a time when the PPP is trying to woo two estranged allies, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islami.

The main opposition PML-N and several influential traders' associations have backed the strike.