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