Pakistan: Family Afraid After Christian Accused of Blasphemy Dies Before He Can Clear His Name

A 70-year-old Christian man in Pakistan, who had been falsely accused of "blasphemy" and was out on a bail, suddenly died. His family now finds itself even more vulnerable to attacks as they will find it more difficult to prove his innocence.

Mukhtar Masih died Thursday at Bagh Christian Hospital in Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, where he was taken after he complained of a pain in the abdomen, according to the British Pakistani Christian Association, which also reported that he died of gastro-intestinal bleeding as per the autopsy report.

"We were extremely confident that Mukhtar would be exonerated and that his reputation would once again become unsullied, said Mehwish Bhatti, lead officer for the BPCA in Pakistan. "His distraught family have expressed great disappointment that Mukhtar Masih died with charges of blasphemy over his head. We are challenging our local MP's (members of parliament) to call for a posthumous exoneration for a man who did not commit any crime. Mukhtar's only offence was the hurt he apparently caused to Muslims for adhering to the Christian faith."

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