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.
Categories: Law and Religion, Pakistan