Two Christian nurses have been acquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan, ending a case that began greater than 4 years ago and compelled them into hiding under threat of mob violence. A district court ruled that the prosecution did not substantiate the charge.
Mariam Lal and Newosh Arooj, who were charged under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s Penal Code, which mandates life imprisonment for damaging Qur’anic text, were acquitted in November 2025, and the deadline for authorities to appeal the ruling passed this week, in line with Aid to the Church in Need.
The charges followed accusations by a senior doctor in April 2021 that the nurses, who worked in Civil Hospital in Punjab Province’s Faisalabad city, had defiled a sticker with an Islamic inscription pasted on a hospital cupboard.
As word spread, the nurses narrowly escaped an attempted lynching by an indignant crowd and were detained by authorities. Both women remained in custody for five months before being allowed to await trial outside of jail for safety reasons.
The court later permitted them to avoid public appearances, citing credible threats to their lives. Throughout the proceedings, the nurses were unable to work and required security measures because of ongoing intimidation.
Their legal defense was conducted by the National Commission for Justice and Peace, a Catholic body backed by Aid to the Church in Need.
Local advocates called the ruling a rare instance of a lower court acquitting defendants in a blasphemy case, that are typically deferred to higher courts because of social pressure.
Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi of NCJP said the choice showed the district judge acted independently based on the evidence presented.
While the nurses’ families expressed relief, they continue to be under pressure.
“Our struggle now continues for the secure future, rehabilitation and dignified reintegration of the nurses,” Asi told ACN.
He credited Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad and advocates Sanaullah Baig and Shahid Anwar for his or her efforts under threat. He also thanked the international community for its support.
“Their prayers, financial assistance, and international solidarity strengthened not only the 2 nurses but in addition reminded us that the Church and the worldwide community do not stay silent in times of suffering,” Fr. Asi said.
John Pontifex, head of press and public affairs at ACN UK, who had met the nurses in 2023, said they never lost hope despite the danger.
The blasphemy law, embedded in Sections 295 and 298 of Pakistan’s penal code, is incessantly misused for private revenge. While it permits the death penalty for those convicted of insulting Islam or its Prophet Muhammad, it carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness of blasphemy.
Islamic radicals also use the law to focus on religious minorities, including Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyyas and Hindus.
A Lahore-based group, Centre for Social Justice, reported that 200 people were accused of blasphemy in 2020, a record variety of cases in a single 12 months. In total, the group reports that at the very least 1,855 people have been charged under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws since 1987.
International advocates have long called on Pakistan to reform its penal code, because it is usually used to persecute religious minorities.
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