PAKISTAN: ‘KAFIR’ AND ‘BLASPHEMIES’, MOUNTING FEAR AMONG CHRISTIAN MINORITY

Relatives of a Christian couple that were lynched to death over allegations of blasphemy in Pakistan’s Punjab province earlier this month have called for government protection, saying they are under pressure to drop their case against the alleged killers.

“We are receiving threats on phone to take back our case”, Shahbaz Masih, brother of the victim Shehzad Masih, told a press conference in Islamabad. “We have been offered money and land as compensation in return for withdrawal of the case against the accused”.

Shehzad Masih and his pregnant wife Shama Bibi, bonded laborers, were attacked by a mob of villagers and then thrown into a lit kiln after announcements were made over a mosque loudspeaker saying the couple had committed blasphemy by burning and throwing out pages of the Qur’an. Police arrested 43 suspects after the attack in the Kasur district, including the brick kiln owner and mosque prayer leader.

“We only want justice through fair investigations”, said Masih, adding that a judicial commission and joint investigation team should be formed to carry out the probe.

Shahbaz and his wife Parveen Bibi said that members of religious minorities should be included in the commission. The Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL), a group of clerics and rights activists promoting religious co-existence, urged “harsh punishments” for those involved to dissuade others from misusing religion as an excuse to settle personal feuds in the future.

In regard, Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, president of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC expressed grave concern on remarks of a leader of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) in a live TV Show about Christians calling them “infidels” or “Kafir” in commenting the assassination of the Christian couple.

There was uproar and anger among millions of Christians on remarks of Ali Mohammad MNA of the PTI and an open apology was demanded by them for Ali Mohammad and PTI Chief Imran Khan. But neither Imran Khan nor Ali Mohammad have apologized, forcing Christians to decide to quit their memberships of PTI.