mr president this debate is yet more proof that the european union is shocked by the brutal murder of mr salmaan taseer governor of pakistan's punjab province in islamabad on four january
high representative ashton strongly condemned the killing in her statement on four january
she urged the pakistani authorities to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice
this assassination is all the more distressing as based on available reports it is linked to mr taseer's outspoken defence of a christian woman asia bibi who was sentenced to death under questionable blasphemy charges
it should be noted that on twelve november twenty ten high representative ashton expressed deep concern over the death sentence given to mrs asia bibi
she called on pakistan to abolish the death penalty and respect human rights as guaranteed under the international conventions to which the country is a party
the european union has repeatedly brought up the continued application of the blasphemy laws with the government of pakistan as part of this human rights dialogue
we are conscious of the fact that the blasphemy laws in their present form are open to abuse and have often been applied against religious minorities
we are also aware that false accusations have been used as a tool to settle private disputes or for personal gain
we were encouraged by earlier steps taken by the government of pakistan to try amending more controversial aspects of the laws
ideally of course the blasphemy laws would be totally repealed
it is unfortunate that in the case of mr taseer's assassination there has been widespread public support for the murderer
we are concerned that fatwas were not only issued against mr taseer but also against other public figures who have spoken out for a reform of the blasphemy laws
inciting hatred and violence with impunity should not be allowed
the government of pakistan has a responsibility to protect its citizens and we count on it to do everything possible to ensure their safety
there are fears that the murder of mr taseer reflects a rise in extremism and intolerance in pakistan
we need to face up to the situation and consider carefully how to react knowing that the government and democratic institutions of the states more generally continue to face daunting challenges
let me be very clear here there is no alternative but to continue to strengthen democratic and progressive forces in pakistan's civil society
pakistan's constitution explicitly protects the rights of minorities and accordingly the government needs to tackle extremism not just in the border areas but also on the streets of pakistani cities
we need to provide continued emphasis on education in our development cooperation and more needs to be done to promote tolerance within the educational system especially towards minorities
we are well aware of the vulnerable situation of persons belonging to religious minorities in pakistan this does not just concern christians but also hindus shias ahmadis and others
the european union should champion their common cause and not that of any particular group or religion as this would play into the hands of those wishing to deepen divisions among christians and muslims
we will continue to focus on the need to fully protect every individual's right to religious freedom in pakistan or elsewhere
