Pakistan has for the past several decades been battling sectarianism. While targeted killings and sectarian acts of terrorism may currently be down, in the past the nation has witnessed grotesque massacres of innocent people carried out by sectarian death squads, according to an article by the Pakistani newspaper, the DAWN.
Amongst the key reasons behind the rise of communal violence in the country has been the increase in extremist tendencies since the Zia era, and the related activity of anti-Shia terrorist outfits. However, instead of looking at progressive ways to address this existential threat to the national fabric, the state has often resorted to muddled methods that end up stoking the flames of sectarianism, the article continued.
In this context, the recent passage of the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023, by the National Assembly appears to have worried observers. Sponsored by a Jamaat-i-Islami member, the law, amongst other things, proposes to increase the punishment for those who use derogatory remarks against the Prophet’s companions, to life imprisonment “for a period not less than 10 years”, it added.
It Is hard to understand why such a sensitive law was passed ‘unanimously’ without quorum. Such legislation needs the maximum input of elected representatives, and should not be bulldozed through the House, the article further said.
In order to eliminate sectarianism, it should be the responsibility of ulema to preach tolerance and advise their flocks not to indulge in toxic polemics. Instead of passing debatable laws, the state needs to crack down on violent hatemongers. Indeed, it is hoped that better sense in the Senate prompts the legislators to rethink the law in view of its implications, it concluded.
