(ZENIT News/Jaranwala, March 7, 2024) – The head of Pakistan’s Catholic Church has slammed a court that sentenced a Christian man to death after he was found guilty of blasphemy in connection with one of the worst atrocities against minorities in the country’s history.
Bishop Samson Shukardin, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, described the sentence handed down in the Ehsan Shan case as “very, very painful”.
The Sahiwal Anti-Terrorism Court found Ehsan guilty of blasphemy for sharing content on social media that it deemed insulting to Islam and its prophet.
Shan, a man in his early twenties from Sahiwal, was not charged with desecrating the Quran, but with reposting an image of a damaged copy of the holy book.
Reports of the defaced manuscript sparked anti-Christian riots in Jaranwala, Punjab, last August, in which more than 25 churches were burned and over 80 Christian homes looted.
Convicted under numerous sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, Shan was also sentenced to 22 years’ “rigorous imprisonment” and a fine of 1 million Pakistani rupees (2,830 British pounds).
In an interview with Aid to the Church in Distress (ACN), a Catholic charity for persecuted Christians, Bishop Shkardin, who is also chairman of the Catholic Church’s National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), said: “This decision is very painful for us. Many people are disappointed.”
He called on the international community to demand justice: “Big international NGOs and human rights organisations should speak out against this decision. This will have a major impact on the government.”
Father Khalid Rashid, NCJP director for the Diocese of Faisalabad, told ACN:[Mr Shan] The image was shared with one person, but by thousands of people, including police, government officials and other relevant parties.
“[Mr Shan] “He has been targeted. We condemn this sentence.”
“He’s innocent because he doesn’t have a good education. He comes from a very poor family.”
“Sometimes people don’t understand these things. He had no idea that sharing this content would be considered harmful.”
“at that time [after last August’s Jaranwala atrocity] Everyone shared the news.”
Father Rashid said the anti-terrorism court in Sahiwal was under pressure to pass a guilty verdict.
“This sentence was imposed because of terrorists, extremists and other extremist groups,” he said.
“These groups threatened the judge, which is why he made this decision.”
The priest said the court’s rush to decision was a sign of undue pressure.
Father Rashid said he and his close supporters plan to appeal the case to the Lahore High Court.
Shan’s sentence by the Sahiwal Anti-Terrorism Court came amid evidence of worsening persecution of Christians and other minorities in Pakistan.
The massive arson attack on a church in Jaranwala district in August 2023 sparked threats of violence against Christians in the Punjab city of Sargodha, where a mob of thousands rampaged over suspected blasphemy in May last year.
They lynched Nazir Gill Masih, a 73-year-old grandfather from Sargodha, who later died from his injuries.
At this point, the Christians of Sargodha were terrified and fled the city en masse.
Also last month, two Ahmadi Muslims were shot dead in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district.
The assailants were alleged to be members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP), an extremist religio-political group linked to violent incidents in Jaranwala and Sargodha.
Bishop Shkardin said: “Minorities are suffering more and more. Minorities feel scared and uncomfortable. They are afraid to speak out in public.”
He said that while Muslims are also accused of blasphemy, such accusations are even worse for Christians because when they are made, they target not just individuals but their families and entire communities.
Bishop Shukardin also emphasized that in contrast to the case against Shan, no convictions have been reached against those involved in the attacks on Christians in Sargodha and Jaranwala.
He said: “While one of our Christians has been unjustly sentenced to death, nothing has happened to others accused of crimes against churches and Christian institutions. On the contrary, these people are gradually being released.”
Lawyer Akmal Bhatti, chairman of the Minorities Alliance, was quoted as saying that of the 135 people charged by authorities in connection with the Jaranwala atrocities, only around 12 are on trial.
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