Blasphemy law not to be amended, says PM
DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 17 (APP) - Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani categorically said on Monday that government had no plans to amend blasphemy law.“Neither we had thought of it nor we are going to do it,” the Premier said while addressing a gathering of people after inaugurating the sub campuses of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) at the AIOU office here.PM said that those who were saying that a committee had been formed to amend the blasphemy law were wrong, adding, no such committee was formed. However, a committee at the party level was formed to discuss proposed legislations moved by the MNAs and this committee had rejected amendment in the blasphemy law, he added.
The prime minister said, “I cannot think of amendment in blasphemy law.” Gilani, however, said, “We believe that no law should be misused.”
He said that those airing rumours of amendment in blasphemy were merely wasting their time and instead they should come together to help overcome challenges confronting the country including unemployment, terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and work for strengthening institutions and rule of law.
He said that the present government had buried the politics of vengeance and laid the foundation of the “politics of reconciliation”.
“However, those who think the politics of reconciliation were some sort of weakness were wrong”, Prime Minister said.
He added that by virtue of politics of reconciliation the government registered landmark achievements, which, even a party having strong majority could not have accomplished. He mentioned the passage of 18th amendment bill, 19th amendment bill, autonomy to provinces, National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and empowerment of women as some of the major achievements.
He also said that this government appointed women as governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, Speaker of National Assembly and minister of state of economic affairs.
Reiterating his commitment to upgrade health and education facilities in underdeveloped areas of southern Punjab, Prime Minister announced that another sub campus of AIOU would be set up in Bahawalpur.
PM Gilani also promised to provide four buses for BZU sub campus students in DG Khan.
PM announced a grant of Rs 50 million for the construction of a girls hostel for the AIOU sub campus in DG Khan to facilitate the female students from Balochistan and interior Sindh.
This grant would be available in two instalments, PM added.
The premier, however, declined a proposal to acquire forest land for the BZU sub campus expansion while saying that it was not in the interest of environment protection and asked the Commissioner to contact Punjab government for allocation of alternate land for the purpose.
The PM said that it was his first visit to DG Khan as the prime minister but the bonds of love and relationship with the people here were of the pre-partition time.
In this context he said that his father had laid the foundation of DHQ hospital 56 years ago when he was serving as the minister for health and local bodies. This hospital is serving the people today, he appreciated.
He recalled that his grandfather had won the election unopposed from this constituency that comprised DG Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Multan, Mianwali, Lodhran, Sargodha, and Faisalabad. He said that Syed Rajan Bakhsh Gilani had defeated an English candidate in elections.
He said that Sardar Latif Khan Khosa has been appointed as Punjab Governor and I have asked him to pay special attention to uplift of backward areas and promised to make available the required funding.
He said that people of this area have offered sacrifices in the Pakistan movement and for revival of democracy in the country.
He said that his forefathers had laid the foundation of Anjuman-e-Islamia in Multan in 1834 to light the beacon of knowledge in this area, adding that Syed Wilayat Hussain College in Multan was named after his uncle, Syed Alamdar Hussain College after his father, Gilani Law College. He said that land for Nishter Hospital was donated by his family.
PM said that the government was committed to develop this area so that youth here could avail equal opportunities and serve the country at important posts like judges of superior courts or federal secretaries.
“Development of the country particularly the backward areas is our mission and we will complete our mission at every cost”, Gilani affirmed.
PM said there was no political prisoner or victims during the on-going tenure of PPP-led government and it was the first government in country’s history that buried the politics of vengeance.
Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Minister of State for economic affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, PPP Punjab president Imtiaz Safdar Waraich, Vice Chancellor AIOU Dr. Nazir Ahmad Sangi (AIOU), VC BZU Prof. Dr. Mohammad Zafarullah besides local PPP leaders and workers were also present.