PAKISTAN: DEATH PENALTY REVEIW BILL THIS MONTH: NAIK

the Pakistani Ministry of Law is planning to review various laws under which capital punishment is awarded in the country, Federal Law Minister Farooq Naik told Dawn News. The channel reported that the government decided to review the laws as part of the move to abolish death penalty in the country. It quoted Naik saying that the review bill would be ready by the middle of November and parliament would pass it by the end of the month. Naik said the Law Ministry was reviewing all laws under which capital punishment is awarded, including anti-terrorism laws, murder, rape and others so that "they came within the ambit in a manner that Islamic laws are not affected because nobody can change the laws given in the holy Quran but the man-made laws can be changed". He said defiling a copy of the holy Quran was punishable with imprisonment for life under Section 295(B) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), while the use of derogatory remarks in respect of the Holy Prophet was punishable with death under Section 295(C) of the PPC. He said the blasphemy law did not define blasphemy clearly and "we are doing research upon it as to what exactly has to be done whether we should abolish punishment of death with regard to Section 295(C) or to retain it". However, he said the law would be amended keeping in mind the religion of Islam, sentiments of the people of Pakistan and Muslims across the globe.