Pak Govt to protect minorities at all costs: Zardari

Islamabad, Jan 21(ANI): The Pakistan Government will protect the country's minorities at all costs in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Constitution of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari has said.

Zaradri made these comments while talking to the Federal Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday.

No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands nor will anyone be allowed to misuse the country's laws, The Nation quoted the president, as saying.

He also asked Bhatti to continue the consultations with scholars and ulema of different faiths and denominations with a view to building consensus against the misuse of Pakistani laws against the minorities and vulnerable groups in the country.

The case of Pakistani-Christian woman Asia Bibi, who has been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, has drawn huge attention in the media, and there is deep sympathy for her. Several NGOs have called for repealing Pakistan's blasphemy law because it was "being used by illiterate masses in rural areas to hoodwink the minorities".

In November last year, Pope Benedict XVI had also called for her release, and said that Christians in Pakistan were "often victims of violence and discrimination."

On January 4, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by Qadri, one of his own elite security force protectors, who opened fire on him because of the liberal politician's support for Asia's release. (ANI)