Washington: As a young Christian girl charged with blasphemy continued to be held in a Pakistani jail, a bipartisan group of six US Senators has asked President Asif Ali Zardari to take immediate action to release her and also address the problem of religious intolerance against Hindus.
In a letter to Zardari, the Senators said the recent cases of religious discrimination, including that of Rimsha Masih — a Christian girl with down syndrome who has been charged with blasphemy, have underscored the worsening situation for religious minorities in the country.
They also expressed concern over the condition of Hindus in the country. “Other religious freedom abuses raise further concerns about the protection of religious minorities. Hundreds of Hindus are fleeing Pakistan due to growing religious intolerance in the country,” they said. They called for safety and equitable treatment under the law of all Pakistanis, regardless of their religion.
With the Christian girl yet to get bail in the blasphemy case, the Senators urged Zardari to undertake a serious effort and work with the global community to address the problem of religious intolerance and end the unjust imprisonment of Rimsha.
Rimsha is currently being held at the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where terrorists like Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks are also being detained.
The bail hearing of the girl, whose judicial remand was on Friday extended by a court for 14 days at the request of the police, was on Saturday postponed till Monday.
Led by New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, the letter was signed by Senators Roy Blunt, Ben Cardin, Mark Kirk, Bob Casey and Mike Johanns. (PTI)