LAHORE: Two brothers accused of blasphemous acts that sparked a mob in Pakistan to ransack homes and churches in a Christian enclave last year have been freed from jail, their lawyer said Friday.
More than 80 Christian homes and 19 churches were vandalized by crowds in the eastern city of Jaranwala last August, after accusations spread that a Holy Qur’an had been desecrated.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in deeply conservative, Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam have provoked deadly vigilantism.
While police rounded up more than 125 suspected rioters, they also detained two Christian brothers on suspicion of having defaced a Holy Qur’an – a violation of Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws which can carry the death penalty.
But the brothers’ lawyer Tahir Bashir told AFP they had been freed after an anti-terror court declined to bring their case to trial on Thursday.
“Without a trial, no suspect can be detained indefinitely in jail,” Bashir said, declining to publicly name his clients out of fear for their safety.
“They are free, they are with their family. They were very happy to be released,” he added.
Hundreds of Christians fled Jaranwala’s Christian quarter last summer when rioters surged in, setting churches ablaze and raiding homes.
At its peak the crowd numbered around 5,000 and was spurred by mosque loudspeakers announcing a Holy Qur’an had been torn, scrawled with offensive words and stuck to the walls of a local mosque.
Christians, who make up around two percent of Pakistan’s population, occupy one of the lowest rungs in society and are frequently targeted with spurious blasphemy allegations.
Politicians have also been assassinated, lawyers murdered and students lynched over such accusations.
Last week, police were forced to intervene in the eastern city of Lahore when a woman wearing a shirt adorned with Arabic calligraphy was surrounded by a mob accusing her of blasphemy.
The crowd of men said the clothing depicted the Holy Qur’an but it was in fact emblazoned with the Arabic word for “beautiful.”
The woman issued an apology for causing offense, but none of the men were arrested.
Pakistan’s top Supreme Court judge has also been targeted by veiled death threats recently after ordering the release of a man accused of disseminating a blasphemous text.
Brothers accused of sparking blasphemy riot against Christians in Pakistan last year released
https://arab.news/6c5tp
Brothers accused of sparking blasphemy riot against Christians in Pakistan last year released
- The brothers were detained on suspicion of defacing the Holy Qur’an in Jaranwala where a mob vandalized Churches
- Christians make up around two percent of Pakistan’s population and occupy one of the lowest rungs in society
Pakistan to announce austerity plan on Monday amid rising fuel prices due to Middle East conflict
- The development follows an increase of Rs55 ($0.20) per liter in prices of petrol and diesel in Pakistan this week
- PM Shehbaz Sharif promises ‘maximum relief’ to people as soon as ‘this difficult phase passes’ and economy stabilizes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to unveil an austerity plan tomorrow, Monday, as surging global oil prices, driven by United States and Israeli strikes on Iran, mount pressure on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to curb spending and stabilize the economy, the PM’s office said on Sunday.
The development follows an increase of Rs55 ($0.20) per liter in the prices of petrol and diesel in Pakistan this week as the Strait of Hormuz, which supplies a fifth of the global oil consumption, faces disruptions due to US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s counter attacks on US interests in the Gulf region.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Division was directed to submit daily stock reports, while the country’s Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) was tasked with maintaining strict market oversight, officials said this week, as oil rose above $90 a barrel globally, the highest in years.
Sharif on Sunday presided over a meeting to review measures to stabilize the economy amid the Middle East conflict, with officials saying global supply disruptions and price fluctuations may have an impact on Pakistan, according to the prime minister’s office.
“In view of the recent international situation, timely implementation of measures is essential for the country’s economic stability,” Sharif was quoted as saying at the meeting. “The government is constantly monitoring the situation and all necessary decisions will be taken to provide all possible stability to the national economy.”
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Finance Minister said that Islamabad was preparing alternative plans to manage the financial impact of rising oil prices.
Speaking at the meeting, Sharif said the austerity measures must protect the interest of the people.
“All government employees and ministers will have to adopt austerity,” he said. “In the current difficult times, it is important to ensure wise use of national resources and as soon as this difficult phase passes and the economy becomes more stable, the government will provide maximum relief to the people.”
Instructions regarding austerity and simplicity will not be applicable to the industry and agriculture sectors so that the country’s production, exports and food security are not affected, according to Sharif’s office.
Several suggestions and recommendations based on austerity and simplicity were presented at the meeting, which were reviewed in detail by participants.
“The briefing was informed that the country has adequate reserves of diesel, petrol and other petroleum products and the government has made advance arrangements to deal with any emergency,” Sharif’s office said.
