NEW YORK, May 6: The Human Rights Watch has called upon President General Pervez Musharraf to repeal laws that discriminate against religious minorities, including the penal statute that makes capital punishment mandatory for ‘blasphemy’.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the HRW said that the government should stop pandering to extremist groups that foment harassment and violence against the minorities.

The statement said that on April 22 police supervised an illegal demolition of a boundary wall of a graveyard owned by a minority community.

Two religious parties, Sunni Tehrik and Tehrik-i-Tahafaz-i-Namoos-i-Risalat, had put pressure on the provincial authorities that the community might try to set up a centre of ‘apostasy’ within the enclosed walls.

Leaders of the two groups had also threatened to kill members of the community if police did not intervene on their behalf.

Gen Musharraf should stop giving in to extremist groups, said Brad Adams, Asia director of the HRW.

“As religious persecution by groups intensifies, pandering to extremists sets a dangerous precedent.”