The largest Christian human rights association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA), has asked the Pakistan government to repeal the controversial blasphemy law.
The BCA submitted a memorandum to the Pakistan embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday demanding to end persecution and harassment of Christians and other minorities.
In the memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the BCA said that it is aggrieved and concerned at incidents of persecution of Christians in Pakistan under its draconian anti-blasphemy law.
It pointed out that a Pakistani Christian named Asif Parvez was given the death sentence by the sessions court Lahore in September for misusing his phone to send a derogatory message.
The BCA called upon the Pakistani authorities to treat minorities with dignity and drop all fabricated blasphemy charges against them. It also demanded clemency for those already sentenced to death under the blasphemy law.
It said that blasphemy law has forced hundreds of minorities to flee Pakistan to save their lives. It has also led to extra-judicial killings, mob lynchings and violent protests targeting minority community members.
The BCA pointed out the cases of people like Shahbaz Bhatti and Salman Taseer who were assassinated for opposing the blasphemy law in Pakistan.
The Christian association said that blasphemy law was against the fundamental rights of Pakistani citizens guaranteed in the constitution.
It demanded the repeal of the blasphemy law which is vague, arbitrary and leaves ample scope for misuse.