Woman activist lashes out at judicial system in Pakistan for not protecting minority rights
Sep 12, 2020
London [UK], September 12 : London-based Pakistani human rights activist and spokeswoman for Justice for Minorities in Pakistan Anila Gulzar has lashed out at the judicial system in Pakistan and condemned the death sentence awarded to a 37-year-old Christian man, Asif Pervaiz, in Lahore.
She said that Asif refused to convert to Islam due to which not only he had to quit his job at a hosiery factory in Lahore but in 2013 was accused by his employer of committing blasphemy.
Asif had been accused by his supervisor of sending defamatory comments about Prophet Muhammad to him via text message.
Making insulting remarks about the prophet carries a mandatory death penalty in Pakistan.
Gulzar said that these are trumped-up charges and that Asif should be acquitted.
Anila Gulzar, herself a Christian who migrated to the UK 30 years ago, said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government has won the hearts of Pakistani minorities by making CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act 2019) which guarantees asylum to religious minorities from Pakistan who face persecution.
"Persecuted Christians in Pakistan can now go to India. Christians in Pakistan have been suffering for the past over 70 years. I am a Christian and is living in UK for the past 30 years. There is no need to convert oneself to other religion as you have the opportunity to go to India," Gulzar said.
