Fears of death-only punishment for blasphemy in Pakistan

Last month, the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) of Pakistan ordered that the death penalty be the "only punishment for a blasphemer", and that life imprisonment be removed as an option.

"The Pakistani government has been given until next month to implement the order and time is running out if the decision is to be challenged," Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, told the ASSIST News Service.

He said that CLAAS - an abbreviation for the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance & Settlement - is concerned that if the order is followed, this law will become a Sharia law, causing many complications, and blasphemy cases will have to be heard in Shariah courts. Keep reading

Photo: World Watch Monitor