Human rights groups have urged for the law to be repealed or amended to protect the rights of minority faiths in a nation that is overwhelmingly Muslim and increasingly volatile.
A Pakistani governor, who advocated reforming the “black law,” was killed by his security guard on Jan. 4, prompting large-scale demonstrations on behalf of the accused killer by Muslims who want the law preserved.
Pakistani officials have brushed off calls from outsiders for the law’s repeal. On Jan. 11, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told reporters that “it is our law and we will work according to our law.”
“With the protests growing from both sides, we were expecting the government to take a strong stand on this,” said Joseph Francis, director of the Center for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement, which has defended dozens of Christians and Muslims charged under the law. “Unfortunately, the government response has been negative.”
