Pakistan: Christian brothers, Qasir and Amoon, sentenced to death under blasphemy laws after website posts
Pakistani Christian brothers Qasir and Amoon have been sentenced to death after being accused of blasphemy.
The court of Mr. Javed Iqbal Bosal Additional Sessions Judge of Talagang District Jhelum.
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The allegations surfaced in 2011 when they were accused of posting disrespectful material on their website.
After four years on the run abroad, the brothers returned home and were arrested.
Qaisar is married to Amina and they have three children, While Amoon is married to Huma who is a teacher at the Cathedral School, Lahore.
On December 13 their case was heard by the Additional Session judge Javed Iqbal Bosal, inside the jail due to security reasons, who found them guilty and sentenced them to death.
Both brothers have been in District Jail Jhelum since 2014 under the charge of 295-A, B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
CLAAS is pursing their case and on every hearing has been traveling from Lahore to Jhelum.
CLAAS has decided to challenge the decision before the Lahore High Court Bench at Rawalpindi as soon as possible.
CLAAS believes that in blasphemy cases the judges always remain under threat from religious fanatics and that is why the trial judges convict those accused of blasphemy.
In this case the trial Judge did not apply his judicious mind and convicted the accused in a very casual manner.
Nasir Saeed Director of CLAAS-UK, said; “This is a very unfortunate situation as because of threats from hardliners lower courts pass their responsibility to the higher court and then it takes years to prove the accused innocent.
We have seen this in the recent case of Asia Bibi, who was similarly convicted by the lower court and it took her years to reach to the supreme court to get justice. I am afraid now Qasir and Amoon will have to wait years to get justice.
“It is a sad reality that the present government has no intention even to talk about or to take steps to stop the ongoing misuse of the blasphemy law.
“Pakistani President Dr Arif Alvi has already said that the government would not amend the law. This means the killing of innocent people will continue despite growing opposition to the law around the world.
“While Imran Khan who has earned much appreciation from the world for his recent decision of opening the Kartarpur corridor for Indian Sikhs has no plans for Pakistan’s own minorities, who are already scared of his reiterated statements of making Pakistan a Medina like state.
“Very recently his statement that there is no mention of Jesus in history, hurt the feelings of Christians not just in Pakistan, but throughout the world.”
