The government has finalised a draft bill, which will now be presented in parliament for approval, to combat the abuse of the existing laws.
The proposal, prepared by the interior ministry and vetted by the law ministry, aims to ensure that no one takes the law into their own hands, as only the state (police and courts) are responsible for punishing anyone found guilty.
According to officials, some harsh penalties have also been introduced against false accusations of blasphemy.
A senior official at the interior ministry told The Express Tribune that procedural loopholes in Pakistan Penal Code’s Section 295-C, a criminal offence punishable with death, have been identified and some new clauses incorporated in the new draft.
