Coalition for the Rights of Minorities (CRM), an alliance of civil society organisations operational for protection of minorities' rights, has expressed grave concern over an alarming wave of religious intolerance and radicalism in the country.
In a press statement issued by CRM National Co-ordinator, Sameena Imtiaz said that this alarming trend of attacks on religious places of works poses serious risks to social cohesion and the religious freedoms envisaged in the constitution of Pakistan. She said the acts were in clear violation of the PPC295 (Injuring or defiling place of worship, with Intent to insult the religion of any class).
Sameena Imtiaz said that the CRSS figures further reveal that 13 places of Muslim and non-Muslim worship such as 2 mosques, madrassa, Tableeghi Markaz, Imambargahs, 5 Sufi shrines, and 3 Hindu temples were desecrated during this period. She demanded of the government that anybody involved in destroying, damaging, or Defiling any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with intention of insulting the religion of any class of persons "shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or with both." "Perpetrators of these crimes remain unidentified. However, a Hindu has been identified for allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran in Larkana", she said. Alarmingly, almost all religious parties and organisations, even those sitting in the parliament continue to stay mum on these faith-related murders and acts of desecration that are clearly covered by the Blasphemy law and PPC295, she pointed out.
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