Christian faces death sentence for blasphemy in Pakistan uproar

A controversial verdict has been issued in Pakistan where a 36-year-old Christian man has been sentenced to death for blasphemy. According to Reuters, the man intends to appeal the decision made by the anti-terrorism court.

This case relates to events in 2023 when riots erupted in the city of Jaranwala, located in eastern Pakistan. The accusation of desecrating the Quran sparked a wave of violence, leading to a mob setting fire to hundreds of homes and churches. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, and the military was called in to bring the situation under control.

In Pakistan, accusations of blasphemy often result in riots and lynching attempts. For instance, a recent incident in Karachi involved a crowd of 100 to 200 people who beat a 47-year-old owner of an auto repair shop to death. The victim was a member of a religious minority considered heretical by some Muslims.

Laws protecting places of worship from desecration were introduced into the Pakistani penal code during British colonial times, in the 1920s. They were meant to protect all religions in what was then India. After Pakistan gained independence in 1947, these laws were adopted without changes until the 1980s. During the rule of General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, as part of the Islamization of the law, severe penalties for blasphemy, including the death penalty, were introduced.