Murder suspect
International police organisation Interpol has captured one of the two alleged killers of Pakistan’s Christian government minister, Shahbaz Bhatti, it has been reported.
According to the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), a man arrested is believed to be one of the gunmen who shot down Mr Bhatti, former federal minister of minorities, outside his house a year ago.
The minister had been tasked with representing minorities in the Muslim country, and had been challenged strongly for his work to reform the Blasphemy Law, and for his support for imprisoned Christian mother Asia Bibi.
According to the BPCA, Interpol received a letter from Islamabad Police in February to transport the accused from Dubai to Islamabad. However, it is believed the process was delayed while the Interior Ministry, headed by Rehman Malik, corresponded with the Ministry of Law for its opinion.
This comes as Andrew Stephenson MP presented an early day motion to the UK parliament on the anniversary of Mr Bhatti’s death and ahead of a march in London on 10 March.
The motion was born out of a discussion between Jason Campbell of Christian Action Network (USA) and Wilson Chowdhry, head of the BPCA, in November 2011.
It supports the international human rights of freedom of religion and of speech in cases of accusations of blasphemy, and reminds the UK that it gives significant aid to nations such as Pakistan, where many minority communities suffer injustice under the blasphemy laws.
