Pakistan must finally abolish blasphemy-charges – Government-run terror against dissenters must come to an end!

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is relieved about the fact that the blasphemy case against the 14-year old Christian girl Rimsha Masih in Pakistan was closed. "No matter how absurd the proceedings and the allegations against the mentally handicapped girl were, all this is only the tip of the iceberg," said the STP's Asia-expert, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Tuesday. According to the STP, members of religious minorities in Pakistan are quite often accused of blasphemy. Many of the cases are actually based on neighborhood disputes. "These sanctions are an open door for arbitrariness. After being elected for the UN Human Rights Council, Pakistan should finally abolish the controversial blasphemy laws – as promised for quite a long time already."

The country's highest court had closed the case against the girl on Tuesday morning. The issue had caused global interest. Nevertheless, Pakistan had managed to be elected to join the General Assembly of the United Nations – in which 47 countries are represented – on November 12, 2012, with 171 of 193 votes in favor. Pakistan's UN ambassador had considered the controversial vote to be a "recognition of Pakistan's strong commitment towards human rights." Human rights organizations criticized the decision because of the continued attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan.

"The fact that the case against the Christian girl was closed does not mean that the government-run terror against dissenters in Pakistan is over," said Delius. For example, the Christian pastor Karama Patras from Sanghla Hill (Central Province of Pundjab) was taken in "protective custody" on October 13, 2012. Karama Patras is being accused of blasphemy, because he had quoted a prayer from the Bible in the house of a Christian, to answer a question the believers had asked about the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice. Outraged imams had organized a demonstration in front of his house, which went on until the police took him into custody. Despite the intervention of a lawyer, the local court refused to set the imprisoned pastor free on bail on November 6, 2012.