PTI has decided to take legal action against PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz for accusing PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan of blasphemy.
According to PTI, after Maryam Nawaz’s accusations, a trend on Twitter against Imran Khan accusing him of blasphemy followed with over 65,000 tweets targeting the PTI chairman.
PTI leader and former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry criticized Maryam Nawaz and her party for endangering Imran Khan’s life by leveling accusations of blasphemy against him. Fawad Chaudhry said using the religion card is the most blatant attempt to physically eliminate political opponents.
Read more: Why Muslim countries condemning blasphemy is self-contradictory
“We will not let this matter go unnoticed. Legal action will be taken against Maryam Nawaz for using the tool of blasphemy to endanger the life of the PTI chairman,” Fawad Chaudhry told the media.
PML-N accuses Imran Khan of blasphemy
Monday, Maryam Nawaz uploaded two purported statements of Imran Khan along with verses of the Quran on her Twitter account to draw a comparison between them.
“This man (Imran) is using religion for his politics and promoting his false narrative. Save your faith and the country from this satan,” Maryam Nawaz tweeted.
دین کو اپنی گندی اور مکروہ سیاست اور جھوٹ کو فروغ دینے کے لیے استعمال کرنے والے شیطان سے اپنے ایمان اور ملک کو بچائیں۔ pic.twitter.com/2POovGJLTn
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) September 12, 2022
Apart from taking legal action, PTI’s social media team has been countering the campaign against Imran Khan by sharing quotes and videos of him ferociously defending Islam and the Holy Prophet. Moreover, PML-N was also criticized for using the religion card in politics.
میرےلیڈرصرف محمد رسول اللّہ ﷺ ہیں ۔@ImranKhanPTI
#سچا_عاشق_رسول_عمران_خان pic.twitter.com/BXJa8OWtq3— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 13, 2022
چیئرمین پاکستان تحریک انصاف عمران خان کے بطورِ وزیراعظم اسلاموفوبیا اور حرمت رسول ﷺ کے حوالے سے عالمی فورمز پر دیئے گئے کچھ بیانات:#سچا_عاشق_رسول_عمران_خان pic.twitter.com/Nr1m9XXAKx
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 13, 2022
Pertinent to mention that in Pakistan religious intolerance runs high. Accusations of blasphemy alone often lead to extreme and horrific measures. In March 2022, a female madrasa teacher was slaughtered by three other female teachers of the same seminary on blasphemy charges in Dera Ismail Khan. Similarly, in December 2021, an angry mob accused a Sri Lankan factory manager, Priyantha Diyawadana, of blasphemy by allegedly tearing up posters containing holy verses. As a result, they beat him to death. Later they burned his body.
Read more: IHC bars Police from registering blasphemy cases against PTI leaders