Here is yet another example of the fact that the persecution of Christians in Pakistan is frequently justified by that nation’s draconian blasphemy laws. Those laws are all too often manipulated in order to victimize Christians and other religious minorities, leaving them with no recourse, as officials are rarely sympathetic to the accused. Christians in Pakistan are targeted with accusations of blasphemy that are often just a cover for attempts to settle personal grudges, appropriate their property, or achieve some other end. In this case, the accusation appears to be an attempt to cover up the accuser’s unethical activity.
The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, calls upon the international human rights community to bring pressure upon the government of Pakistan to repeal these unjust laws, and allow the Christians of the nation to practice their faith in peace and live in peace.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, see here.
“2 Christian youths booked on blasphemy charges in Pakistan’s Punjab,” PTI, February 17, 2021:
Lahore, February 17 (PTI): Two Christian youths have been booked on blasphemy charges in Pakistan’s Punjab province, police said on Wednesday.
“Model Town Police (in Lahore) have registered an FIR against two Christian youths under sections 295-A, 295-B and 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC),” Superintendent of Police Asim Iftikhar told reporters here.
“We are raiding the whereabouts of the suspects and soon arrest them,” he said, adding that the law and order situation in the area has been under control.
According to the FIR, complaint Haroon Ahmed, a student, alleged that both accused had made blasphemous remarks during a discussion on religion.
Section 295-C carries death penalty while section 295-B carries a life sentence and section 295-A has imprisonment up to 10 years.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and their prescribed punishments are considered extremely severe. The people accused of blasphemy are usually deprived of the right to a counsel of their choice as most lawyers refuse to take up such sensitive cases….
The rights campaigners say blasphemy laws are often used to settle personal disputes in the Muslim-majority country.
A US government advisory panel report says Pakistan used blasphemy laws more than any other country in the world….
Photo By Shaista bukhari – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35646530
