Courtesy Daily Dawn: Editorial: THE list of those charged or accused under the country’s questionable blasphemy laws — that too on the flimsiest of pretexts — is far too long. Soofi Mohammad Ishaq, sentenced to death by a judge in Jhelum on Monday in a blasphemy case, is another addition to this unenviable list. As reported, Mr Ishaq, a cleric settled in the US, returned to Talagang, Punjab in 2009. The custodian of a shrine, he received a rousing reception from his followers. However, some people apparently felt that his disciples were overzealous in their adulation and considered ‘bowing’ before the cleric ‘blasphemous’. At this point, we cannot but wonder whether the accusation of blasphemy was driven by ulterior motives, as is usually the case.

Reportedly, the man who made the complaint against Mr Ishaq was unhappy with the fact that he had been granted custodianship of the shrine. The background of this case is suspect. What is also cause for concern is that the judge who first heard the case in Chakwal felt he could not announce the verdict due to ‘security risks’, hence the case was transferred to Jhelum. The matter must be thoroughly probed.

Along with their misuse as a weapon against minorities, the blasphemy laws are used by Muslims against Muslims to settle personal scores or grab property.

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