KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of members of Pakistani civil society organisations rallied Tuesday in the southern port city of Karachi.
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of members of Pakistani civil society groups rallied Tuesday in the southern port city of Karachi to protest the death sentence of a Christian man on blasphemy charges, nearly a year after one of the country’s worst mob attacks on Christians.
The rally, which was also joined by several Christians, came a day after a court in Sahiwal, Punjab province, sentenced Ehsan Shan to death for sharing “hateful content” against Muslims on social media.
Shan’s lawyer, Khurram Shazad, said on Monday he would appeal the sentence.
He was arrested in August 2023 after a group of Muslim men burned down dozens of homes and churches in the city of Jaranwala in Punjab province after residents claimed they saw two Christian men desecrating pages of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. The two men were later arrested.
Shan was not involved in any blasphemy but was accused of reposting defaced pages of the Quran on his TikTok account.
At a rally in Karachi on Tuesday, Christian leader Luke Victor called for Shah’s release.
He also demanded action against those who burned down churches and Christian houses in Jaranwala.
Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan, where blasphemy laws carry the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious leaders. Authorities have never carried out an execution for blasphemy, but the mere allegation often sparks riots that lead to mob violence, lynchings and murder.
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