CHRISTIANS across the world are calling for a repeal of Pakistan's dangerous blasphemy laws in the wake of the killing of two Christians outside a court in Faisalabad.

Pastor Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his brother Sajid Emmanuel, 24, were shot dead last Monday on the court premises by unidentified gunmen when they were taken there by police to face a charge of blasphemy against Islam.

Despite the charges initial investigations had already revealed that the accusations were fabricated.

The Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, held a press conference on Tuesday at which he spoke out strongly against the misuse of the blasphemy laws at the root of the incident.

Church groups have long said that Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, which provide for a mandatory death sentence or life imprisonment even for unintentional blasphemy offences, are often misused against Christians and others to settle property and personal disputes.

The Catholic justice and peace commission has found that although more than 1035 people have been charged under the blasphemy law since 1987, not a single accused has been found guilty by higher courts on appeal.

However, the commission stated, at least 35 people, Christians and Muslims, charged with blasphemy have been killed during court proceedings, reported Ecumenical News International.

Now the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary the Revd Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has sent a letter to Pakistan's president and prime minister.

He reiterated the concern that the 'misuse of the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan has led to physical violence, damage, destruction of properties and loss of life'.

Dr Tveit called on the Pakistani leaders 'to initiate measures towards the repeal of the blasphemy laws and to secure the rights and dignity of all individuals in Pakistan society'.

A number of protests took place following the killings. Hundreds of Christians and other minorities and human rights organisations took to the streets to call for justice for the brothers.

Police fired teargas cannons at Christian protestors, who in turn threw stones.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide's national director Stuart Windsor said, 'The killing of Rashid and Sajid Emmanuel should not have happened and the scale of the reaction to it reflects this.

'The blasphemy laws are contributing to a dangerous long-term shift in social norms which makes it acceptable to fabricate blasphemy allegations against another person despite the severe, life threatening implications of such actions.

'We call upon the government of Pakistan to take action against those misusing the laws as well as those threatening Minister Bhatti.'

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