The blood stained car of Shahbaz Bhatti a poignant reminder of the malice directed towards Christians and other minorities!
Interpol the world's largest international police organisation have reportedly captured Zia-ur-Rehman, one of the two alleged killers of Shahbaz Bhatti.
In an Earlier BPCA report we covered the police bungle that originally allowed the escape of Malik Abid and Zia-ur-Rehman to Dubai, despite a lengthy period under Pakistani Police custody. Rather comically, after the escape Pakistani authorities confirmed the two men as the main culprits for the assassination. Read more here:
Interpol has 190 member states and assist member countries in arresting escaped criminals that have fled abroad. It has been reported in Pakistan Today on Saturday 11th February that Interpol have received a letter from Islamabad Police for transport of the accused from Dubai to Islamabad. However the process has been delayed whilst the Interior Ministry headed by Rehman Malik (who has quite a bizarre but unconnected name link with the two accused), corresponds with the Ministry of law for it's opinion. It is intriguing that while common practice of sending request warrants to Interpol is through their local representative, in this case the request for warrants were sent directly by the Interior Ministry. However, considering the complications we have seen during this murder trial thus far, this bungling pales into insignificance.
Shahbaz Bhatti was the brave Christian former Federal Minister of Minorities who challenged for reform of the Blasphemy Law of Pakistan, despite daily threats of his impending assassination. Resolute to the end, he brought his murder forward, by further deepening the ire caused to extremists in the country, whilst calling for the release of innocent blasphemy law victim Asia Bibi. Mr Bhatti was killed by unidentified gunmen March 2nd 2011 outside his residence. Later it was announced that the banned Islamist group Tehrik-e-Taliban had claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Please pray for justice to prevail in the murder case of Shahbaz Bhatti. If Pakistan is to overcome its label of corruption then it will need to take strong steps to find guilty the murderers of their countries great humanitarians. Both Shahbaz Bhatti and former Punjab Governor Salman Taseer led the campaign for minority rights. The nature of their deaths and ensuing public reactions have brought to the surface the widespread intolerance that exists in many communities living there. Globally there is greater awareness of minority persecution and inequality which has cast a dark shadow over Pakistani politics. Perpetrators of violence and hatred believe they can act with impunity and their malintent will engulf the nation, unless good men see justice done.
If you would like to join the clamour for justice in Pakistan please join our London protest and peace concert 10th March 2012:
http://britishpakistanichristian.blogspot.com/2011/11/protest-march-and-trafalgar-square.html
If you would like to join the clamour for justice in Pakistan please join our London protest and peace concert 10th March 2012:
http://britishpakistanichristian.blogspot.com/2011/11/protest-march-and-trafalgar-square.html
Thanks for this post. I hope this is real and that justice will prevail. I am sure the international pressure was intense for Pakistan, they probably need to catch someone to appease the world.. it's sad though that won't bring back Shahbaz, or prevent the majority from persecuting the millions of Christians in Pakistan. One step in the right direction, still.
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