IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 164 
Expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to the people 
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan upon the assassination of Shahbaz 
Bhatti, Minister for Minorities, who courageously advocated for religious 
freedom and tolerance in Pakistan and calling on the United States 
to renew its efforts with international partners in the Human Rights 
Council and the United Nations General Assembly to promote religious 
freedom and tolerance in accordance with international human rights 
standards. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2011 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. 
CAPUANO, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas, 
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. JONES, Mrs. 
SCHMIDT, Mr. ROHRABACHER, and Mr. SIRES) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives 
to the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan upon 
the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, Minister for Minori-
ties, who courageously advocated for religious freedom 
and tolerance in Pakistan and calling on the United 
States to renew its efforts with international partners 
in the Human Rights Council and the United Nations 
General Assembly to promote religious freedom and toler-
ance in accordance with international human rights 
standards. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:14 Mar 11, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\HR164.IH
HR164
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 164 IH 
Whereas Shahbaz Bhatti, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s 
Minister of Minorities, and an unapologetic champion of 
the right of religious freedom and other human rights of 
all Pakistanis, was shot to death in his vehicle on March 
2, 2011, by a group claiming to oppose Bhatti’s efforts 
to reform Pakistan’s blasphemy laws; 
Whereas Governor Salman Taseer, who courageously sought 
to release Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman and mother of 
5 who was unjustly sentenced to death under Pakistan’s 
blasphemy laws, was gunned down in broad daylight by 
his own security guard on January 4, 2011, allegedly be-
cause the Governor supported reforms to the blasphemy 
laws; 
Whereas Pakistan is a multireligious society comprised of 
Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Parsis (Zoroastrians), 
Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha’is, and others; 
Whereas Islam is the state religion and Pakistan’s Constitu-
tion states that ‘‘subject to law, public order and moral-
ity, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, 
and propagate his religion’’ and that there shall be no 
discrimination in rights based on religion in the provision 
of government services, property rights, education, and 
public access; 
Whereas Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Paki-
stan, envisioned a nation of religious plurality and equal-
ity; 
Whereas support for religious freedom and related human 
rights in Pakistan will help ensure the future of Pakistan 
as a free, strong, and vibrant society and that enduring 
stability in Pakistan will come from an active civil society 
in which religious freedom flourishes; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:14 Mar 11, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR164.IH
HR164
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 164 IH 
Whereas Minister Bhatti spearheaded the ‘‘Joint Declaration 
of National Interfaith Consultation’’, that was issued on 
July 12, 2010, in Islamabad, which was signed by promi-
nent imams and minority religious leaders and which 
stated that ‘‘Pakistan is a homeland of peaceful people 
with diversified colours, races and religions which is being 
targeted by the conspirators to harbor hate amongst var-
ious sects and religions to propagate extremism and ter-
rorism’’ and ‘‘reiterated that the followers of all faiths 
and sects will support the cause of national integration 
and interfaith harmony in the country’’; 
Whereas interfaith dialogue and respect for diversity reflects 
the multireligious nature of Pakistan and the vision of 
Pakistan’s founder; 
Whereas the government of President Asif Ali Zardari and 
Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani appointed the first 
cabinet-level official on religious minorities, Minister for 
Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, on November 3, 2008, and 
reappointed him on February 11, 2010, the only Chris-
tian in the cabinet, to protect the rights of minorities as 
envisioned under Pakistan’s Constitution of 1973; 
Whereas the Government of Pakistan allocated a quota of 5 
percent of all federal jobs for members of minority reli-
gious groups through a law passed and implemented on 
May 26, 2009; 
Whereas, in 2008, the Government of Pakistan for the first 
time recognized the holidays of minority religious groups 
in addition to Muslim holidays; 
Whereas, on August 11, 2009, President Zardari declared 
August 11 as ‘‘Minorities Day’’ to celebrate and recog-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:14 Mar 11, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR164.IH
HR164
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 164 IH 
nize the role that Pakistan’s minorities played in the 
country’s independence and development; 
Whereas the parliament unanimously passed a resolution de-
nouncing the August 1, 2009, attacks against Christians 
in Gojra, Punjab, and affirming that their rights should 
be protected in accordance with the vision of the founder 
of Pakistan; 
Whereas the parliament unanimously passed a resolution con-
demning the May 28, 2010, Lahore attacks on the 
Ahmadi mosques, and calling for a thorough government 
investigation and swift and just prosecution of the per-
petrators of the attacks; 
Whereas Prime Minister Gilani announced 3 days of mourn-
ing after the assassination of Minister Bhatti and de-
clared at the funeral that the government would do its 
‘‘utmost’’ to bring the murderers to justice; 
Whereas Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General 
of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, has con-
demned the assassination of Minister Bhatti and called 
for the perpetrators to be brought to justice; 
Whereas extremist groups have used the blasphemy laws to 
trigger sectarian violence, intimidate members of religious 
minorities and others with whom they disagree, and ex-
ploit these laws for their own political ends; 
Whereas the blasphemy laws have been wielded falsely 
against Muslims and non-Muslims alike for the settling 
of personal disputes, and the law is used against Muslims 
more than any other religious group; 
Whereas vigilantes have murdered individuals accused of 
blasphemy before, during, or after trials, even when the 
accused have been acquitted, such as the July 19, 2010, 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:14 Mar 11, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR164.IH
HR164
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS