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‘Blasphemy law misuse won’t be permitted’

* Zardari says PPP govt committed to promoting interfaith harmony

LONDON: The government will ensure that the blasphemy law is not misused by anyone, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday.

He told Dr Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, that the government was conscious of the misuse of the blasphemy law by extremists. He said Islamabad had condemned the riots against members of the Christian community in Gojra, adding those involved in the heinous crime had been arrested immediately. He assured the archbishop the culprits would be brought to justice. Following the meeting, President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar told journalists that Dr Williams had commended the government of Pakistan for taking swift action to mitigate the riots by announcing compensation for the victims’ families and ordering a judicial probe into the incidents.

Committed: The president also said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government was committed to promoting interfaith harmony and informed the archbishop that Pakistan had pioneered a resolution in the UN calling for interfaith harmony. The government has also decided to establish an interfaith centre, he added. Babar said both leaders had agreed on the fundamental importance of mutual respect between religions and the responsibility of governments to ensure safety of all citizens regardless of their religious beliefs.

He said Dr Williams had proposed a dialogue on how the Christian and Muslim communities in the UK and Pakistan could be engaged to promote religious harmony. He also commended the work of the Christian Muslim forum. The president invited the archbishop to visit Pakistan with a delegation comprising of both Christian and Muslim representatives. The archbishop also condoled with President Zardari on the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He thanked Zardari for meeting him and prayed for the people of Pakistan, especially during Ramzan and Eid. app

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