Tahir Ahmed Naseem, 47, died on Wednesday in the northwestern city of Peshawar, after a member of the public walked into the courtroom andNaseem was on trial on charges of blasphemy after allegedly claiming to be a prophet, a crime punishable by death or life imprisonment under the Pakistan penal code.
"We extend our condolences to the family of Tahir Naseem, the American citizen who was killed today inside a courtroom in Pakistan," the State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said in aposted online Thursday. "We urge Pakistan to take immediate action and pursue reforms that will prevent such a shameful tragedy from happening again."
Guns are difficult to obtain in Pakistan -- civilians cannot purchase a weapon or carry one without a valid license. Members of the public are also typically not allowed into local court rooms, such as the one where Naseem was shot.The case has once again highlighted the tensions over the country's strict blasphemy laws, which have been linked to a number of violent acts, including at least one deadly shooting in recent years.
There are also fears that hardline Islamist groups may end up hailing Naseem's attacker as a hero, as they have done in the past to killers of those connected with blasphemy charges.and sentenced to death. The following year, the governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was shot dead by his own bodyguard for voicing support for Bibi and for condemning the country's stringent blasphemy laws.
And we source doctors from there, yeah that’s smart, not. It’s my prediction more teachers die under the government planning to reopen school than troops died in tha Afghanistan war.
The US gives Pakistan how much in aid annually 300 million!
what year is this - blasphemy - really - just shows how religion is one of the biggest of the world problems. - Damn - wonder if they have gun control?
The religion of peace..
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