Punjab Government failed to provide protection to minority communities

Radio Pakistan

Prime Minister's Advisor on National Harmony Dr. Paul Bhatti says has said the Punjab Government has failed to provide protection to members of the minority communities. In an interview in Radio Pakistan's Naey Ufaq programme‚ he referred to the Lahore incident and said if someone committed blasphemy then the law should take its own course. However‚ he said‚ no one can be allowed to take the law into one's own hand and harm innocent people. Minister of State for National Harmony Akram Masih Gill said similar incidents occurred in Punjab in the past as well‚ but the provincial government made no arrangements for security of non-Muslims. He said even if blasphemy was committed‚ there was no justification to penalize a community for an act of individual. Leader of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Zohra Yousaf regretted that the police silently watched the entire episode and did not take measures to safeguard life and property of non-Muslims.