The death sentence awarded on July 17 by a Lahore district...

The death sentence awarded on July 17 by a Lahore district and sessions court to a Christian, Anwar Kenneth, accused of blasphemy, drew outrage from human rights bodies within and outside the country.
Kenneth, who is a former officer of the Punjab fisheries department, and a resident of the Gowalmandi area of Lahore, is accused of making derogatory remarks against Islam in letters addressed to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, religious leaders in the US and in a pamphlet he had published locally.
Kenneth, who is believed by some to be insane, did not contest the charges and stated he had sent out the letters, putting forward his own religious views. He also did not engage a lawyer to represent him.
Kenneth, who was arrested in June, 2001, had stated at the time that he was sending his pamphlet to the heads of Muslim states for their comments.
The sentence of hanging to death awarded to Kenneth has drawn renewed attention to blasphemy laws in the country. Some Christian activists have also said "Kenneth needs treatment, not punishment."Others insist he was "encouraged to distribute the pamphlet" by those who wanted to move a blasphemy case involving Christians.
A spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said "these cases cause immense suffering and endanger the victims and their families."
Religious Affairs Minister, Mehmood Ghazi, who has stated he will be quitting his office within weeks, said in an interview that he did not believe "non-Muslims can be accused of blasphemy" and that the use of these laws was "creating rifts in society."
The latest death sentence has led to an intensification of a debate on the blasphemy law.