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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday stressed the need for procedural safeguards, fair investigation and judicial sensitivity in blasphemy-related cases, urging educational reforms to promote tolerance and civic responsibility.

The minister said this while addressing a national symposium on ‘Interfaith Harmony and Fundamental Rights — A Constitutional Imperative,’ organized by the Federal Judicial Academy and the Law & Justice Commission of Pakistan under the auspices of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Blasphemy, punishable by death as per Pakistani law, is a sensitive subject in Muslim-majority Pakistan where mere accusations have led to street lynchings. Human rights groups say Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal scores.

In his address, Tarar highlighted Pakistan’s recent policy and legislative initiatives, including the Interfaith Harmony Policy, the National Action Plan and the establishment of Minority Protection Cells and Human Rights Awareness Programs, to promote inclusivity and safeguard minority rights.

“Respect for minorities and protection of their rights lie at the heart of Pakistan’s Constitution and remain a fundamental responsibility of the State,” he was quoted as saying by the Press Information Department (PID).

According to the latest digital census conducted in 2023, over 96 percent of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, with the remaining four percent comprising 5.2 million Hindus, 3.3 million Christians, 15,992 Sikhs and others.

There have been dozens of instances of mob violence against religious minorities in Pakistan in recent years, including an attack on Christians in Jaranwala, a town in Punjab province, where churches, homes and businesses were set ablaze in August 2023. In the southern Sindh province, Hindus have frequently complained about forced conversions, particularly of young girls within their community, and attacks on temples.

Tarar highlighted key constitutional guarantees ensuring freedom of religion, equality before law and protection from discrimination, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening access to justice for all citizens, according to the PID.

“Calling for collective action, the Minister urged the judiciary, religious scholars, media, and civil society to work together in promoting narratives of compassion and interfaith understanding,” it said.

The symposium also adopted a declaration on interfaith harmony that called for integrating interfaith sensitivity and human rights education within the justice sector; strengthening institutional mechanisms for the protection of minorities and the realization of fundamental rights; promoting interfaith harmony, social inclusion, and mutual respect as the foundation of fundamental rights; and upholding the constitutional promise of equality and justice for all citizens.

KABUL: Abdul Rahim surveys the rubble that was his home in Kabul, where he lived with six family members.

A gaping hole in the living room reveals only charred belongings and debris, while blackened teddy bears and makeup lie in what once was a bedroom.

The explosion at his home was one of four that hit the Afghan capital within a week, as unusually intense violence broke out with Pakistan — then suddenly halted under a temporary truce.

The fighting — which has left dozens of troops and civilians dead on both sides, mostly in border regions — represents the worst clashes between the neighbors since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

“We were attending a graduation ceremony when I learned that an explosion had struck my house around 4:00 pm,” Rahim, a motorcycle vendor, tells AFP.

Two explosions occurred Wednesday afternoon following aerial bombardments, according to Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran. The strikes plunged central Kabul into terror.

Pakistani security sources meanwhile said they carried out “precision strikes” against an armed group.

Stunned residents have been clearing the rubble, hoping the ceasefire will hold.

“When I returned, I saw shattered windows, injured people lying on the road, and several dead,” says Rahim, now forced to live with relatives.

“War is not a solution — we hope for dialogue,” he pleads.

Next door, a yellow-walled school has also been gutted.

‘NOT A SOLUTION’

At least five dead and 35 injured were transported to a Kabul hospital Wednesday afternoon, according to Italian NGO EMERGENCY, which runs the facility.

No official death toll has been released.

Passersby stop to stare at the devastation, kept at a distance by security cordons and numerous personnel.

Three hundred meters away, a market in a residential area was also hit, with videos shared by local media showing a fireball engulfing the neighborhood.

Next to a tall building where at least seven stories can be seen charred, Safiullah Hamidi, a 21-year-old student says his uncle’s apartment was among those impacted.

“Pakistan should fight with our army if they want a confrontation, but not by bombing civilians,” he says.

Nearby, Samir Ousmani gathers up metal bars littering his car wash station, almost entirely destroyed.

“One of my employees was killed, and two others, along with my uncle, were injured,” reports the 22-year-old.

HOLDING THEIR BREATH

At the border, where the clashes have been concentrated, residents who had fled are returning home.

“Stores have reopened, and everyone is going about their business, but the border is still closed,” says Naqibullah, a 35-year-old merchant in Spin Boldak, Kandahar province.

The death toll continues to mount.

In the border town, 40 civilians were killed Wednesday in exchanges of fire with the Pakistani army, according to local health authorities.

The UN recorded 37 civilians killed and 425 injured in recent days on the Afghan side.

“Yesterday, the situation was terrible because of the war. I hope it doesn’t resume because there have already been too many victims,” says Aminullah, 22.

Islamabad said the temporary truce would last 48 hours, which ends on Friday evening.

“We are waiting to see what happens tomorrow,” says Shamsullah, 36, a biryani vendor.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday that for the truce to endure, the ball was “in the court” of the Taliban government.

Kabul has not immediately commented.