Pakistani Christians charged with blasphemy

1st Nov. 2013: Two Christian brothers in Pakistan were charged with blasphemy after a local Muslim complained the pair had desecrated pages of the Qu’ran, a minority religions rights group said on Thursday. Under the law, the two could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. The alleged blasphemy occurred in a village in Gujranwala district, according to “World Vision in Progress,” a non-profit foundation working for the rights of Christians and other minority religions in Pakistan. Police spokesman Samiullah Khurram Shahzad said a Muslim man filed a complaint on October 29, seeking action against the two brothers, 24-year-old Tariq Masih and 27-year-old Arif Masih, for using pages of the Qu’ran in the preparation of fireworks. “Arif has been arrested and raids are being conducted to arrest Tariq, who has escaped,” the police officer told ucanews.
Police have also detained their third brother, Waris Masih, who will be released once Tariq surrenders, he said. The two brothers were falsely implicated as a result of a personal vendetta, according to World Vision. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, more than 1,000 people have been charged under the stringent laws since 1986. More than 50 extrajudicial killings have been carried out since the adoption of the laws. But the death sentence has never been implemented.
Source: Ucan