On July 1, Pakistan Police arrested 27 Samsung employees at a mobile store after a mob turned violent at the Star City mall in Karachi. Protests began after a WiFi device was installed at the mall, which allegedly made blasphemous remarks against the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. In retaliation, a violent crowd gathered at the spot and damaged signboards and goods.
Pakistan's Blasphemy law has ruined many and sometimes taken lives since the country declared independence. In a recent hearing, a Christian believer named Ashfaq Masih, a mechanic was sentenced to death for blasphemy. The man was accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad by saying, "Jesus is supreme."
Pakistan’s former prime minister, Imran Khan, has been charged with blasphemy along with 150 others, including Khan’s top allies. The police confirmed the First Incident Report (FIR) on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
On Monday, April 18, Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court in Lahore sentenced six men to death, while nine people were handed life imprisonment sentences. The court also gave a 5-year imprisonment sentence to one individual, while 72 individuals were given a 2-year jail sentence.
Another victim of Pakistan's dangerous blasphemy allegations has died. A teacher at a religious seminary school in Dera Ismail Khan, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was stabbed to death.
Safoora Bibi was killed on Tuesday, March 29, by two students and one of her colleagues. They claimed that a 13-year old child dreamt of Bibi committing blasphemy and wanted Bibi dead.
Allegations of blasphemy in dominantly Muslim countries like Pakistan are a dreadful experience. Despite being unproven, many of the allegations result in injury or, worse, death.
On Friday, March 4, a Shia mosque in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, was attacked by a suicide bomber. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack that left at least 63 dead and 196 injured, mostly in critical conditions. The attack happened during a Friday worship service in the Kucha Risaldar mosque, causing massive casualties.
On Wednesday, February 23, a Shia Muslim was given the death penalty and a fine of almost $3000 (PKR 500,000) for blasphemy charges. Court officials stated that Wasim Abbas, a minority Shia Muslim in Pakistan, has allegedly insulted the Prophet Muhammad.
A Hindu teacher was sentenced for blasphemy on Tuesday, February 8. Nautan Lal, a college teacher in Sindh province, southern Pakistan, received a life sentence.
The order was passed by Judge Murtaza Solangi of the Sindh Province court. The order also included a fine of 50,000 rupees or close to $300.
A man was killed by a mob in Tulamba in the Khanewal District of Pakistan on February 12. Muhammad Mushtaq, 41-years old, was killed by an angry crowd and his body was left tied to a tree. Reuters reported that Mushtaq “appeared to have had mental disabilities.”
