KARACHI: Those misusing the blasphemy law should be tried according to the law, otherwise the number of such cases will increase in the country, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said during a press briefing at the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) head office in Clifton on Thursday.

The participants, including senior members of the Hindu community, in the meeting discussed growing discontent in the minority communities of Pakistan. Speaking specifically about Sindh, patron-in-chief of the PHC Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said that cases of forced conversions in the province were growing.

Without giving any specific number of such cases, he added that the real issue was to accept the fact that forced conversion was a problem.

“These cases are not just limited to the Hindu community. For instance, we rescued a Christian girl today in Khayaban-i-Bukhari. She was abducted on Oct 4 and abused. The provincial and federal governments need to get serious about resolving these issues,” he said.

The press briefing has come after a recent case of alleged forced conversion of Anjali Kumari Meghwar appeared in the news. The girl has been sent to a shelter home in Karachi while her parents have filed a petition in the high court pursuing her medical examination to ascertain her real age.

Governor Sarwar spoke about the continuing violence against minorities in the country. “It feels embarrassing, especially when one is out of the country. Outsiders think that this is all we do. And I must admit that it is the failure of the judicial system to convict such people that it has been going on for such a long time,” he said.

He was also quick to add that the Punjab chief minister was concerned about the rise in violence against minorities and was willing to offer support to families of victims.

Answering a question about the killing of a Christian couple by a mob in Kot Radha Kishan, the governor said that “five main suspects involved in the killing have been presented before a judge and their judicial remand has also been approved”.

As for the blasphemy cases, he said that there was a need to find out real motivation behind such incidents apart from the obvious one which was a victim’s religion.

Referring to earlier incidents that occurred in Gojra and Joseph Colony, he said: “There will be a far bigger impact if those misusing the blasphemy law are tried and convicted in court. Otherwise, such cases will multiply. But let me also add that a majority of the people booked under the blasphemy law are Muslims.”

Explaining further, he said: “It is no more about Hindus or Christians; unavailability of justice is the issue for anyone belonging to lower-middle class in Pakistan.”

A journalist asked him about the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s alleged patronage of terrorist organisations and whether he foresees any change in such an environment, the governor replied: “There are a lot of misconceptions about our party and I can assure you there’s nothing of that sort.”

Speaking about the ongoing military operation Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan, he said that it would have its targeted impact and people should be hopeful that terrorism would decrease to a large extent.

Coming back to the issue of minorities, he said: “I admit we have failed to establish the rule of law in our respective provinces.”

At the end of the briefing, he suggested that minorities constitute a commission of retired judges, senior police officers, minority representatives and human rights activists to highlight and properly work on violations against minority community members.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2014