LAHORE: A Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy and attacked by a mob last month died of his injuries on Monday, a police official said.
Police in eastern Punjab province arrested more than 100 Muslim men and charged them under anti-terrorism laws for attacking a Christian father and son over allegations they desecrated pages of Islam’s holy book.
Nazir Masih, 72, suffered severe head injuries during the May 25 violence and was taken to a Rawalpindi hospital.
He died despite twice undergoing surgery and was buried in the city of Sargodha amid tight security, said district police officer Assad Ijaz Malhi.
Videos from Sargodha showed Christians carrying Masih’s coffin through the street. They shouted “Praise to Jesus” and “Jesus is great.” The casket was draped in black cloth and bore a small crucifix.
Malhi said police have registered cases against 500 people for attacking Masih’s home.
The mob went on the rampage after locals said they saw burnt pages of the Qur’an outside the house and accused Masih’s son of being behind it.
The violence brought back memories of one of the worst attacks on Pakistani Christians in 2023, when thousands of people set ablaze churches and homes of Christians in Jaranwala, also in Punjab.
Muslim residents at the time also claimed they saw two men desecrating the Qur’an.
Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan and under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic figures can be sentenced to death.
While no one has been executed on such charges, just an accusation can cause riots and incite mobs to violence, lynchings and killings.
Pakistani Christian attacked by blasphemy mob dies of injuries
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Pakistani Christian attacked by blasphemy mob dies of injuries
- Nazir Masih, 72, suffered severe head injuries during the May 25 violence and was taken to hospital
- He died despite twice undergoing surgery and was buried in the city of Sargodha amid tight security
Pakistan slashes power tariff for industries by Rs4.4 per unit to spur growth
- The development comes as Pakistan seeks to boost exports to ensure economic recovery under a $7 billion IMF program
- PM Sharif also announces lowering export refinance rate from 7.5 percent to 4.5 percent, and electricity wheeling charges to Rs9 per unit
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a Rs4.4 ($0.014) cut in electricity tariffs for industrial consumers, saying the move is aimed at lowering production costs and spurring economic activity in Pakistan.
Manufacturers in Pakistan have long complained of high electricity price, i.e. Rs22.98 per unit, for industrial consumers, arguing that it has dampened industrial growth and made local products less competitive globally.
The reduction in power tariffs for industries is expected to lower production costs that will allow exporters to offer more competitive prices in international markets and increase profit margins through higher capacity utilization.
Addressing businessmen and exporters at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif said there was no alternative to export-driven economic growth and his government will devise all future economic policies in consultation with them.
“Four rupees and four paisas per unit are being reduced in electricity tariffs for industry,” the prime minister announced at the ceremony. “If it were up to me, I would reduce it by another 10 rupees, but my hands are tied.”
The development comes as Pakistan, which has long struggled with boom-bust cycles, seeks to boost foreign investment and increase exports as it navigates a long path to economic recovery under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
The prime minister said they have reduced the export refinance rate from 7.5 percent to 4.5 percent.
“I believe this is a very significant facility being extended to you,” he said. “God willing, it will help Pakistan’s exports rebound and it will certainly be of immense benefit, especially to those who need financing.”
During his address, Sharif also announced lowering wheeling charges for industries by Rs9 ($0.032) per unit, noting the country’s economy had stabilized, inflation had come down to single digits and the policy rate stood at 10.5 percent.
In Pakistan, wheeling charges refer to fees paid by electricity consumers and generators to use the national grid’s transmission and distribution network to move electricity from suppliers to end-users under the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contracts Market (CTBCM).
“I think this should help you sell your power to neighboring industries,” he told businesspersons at the event.
