A trial court in Pakistan has granted rare bail to a Christian arrested on blasphemy charges, her attorney said.
Additional Sessions Judge Gojra Waseem Mubarak granted post-arrest bail to Saima Masih, widow of Farhad Masih, on September 10, though for security reasons it was not revealed until this week.
The bail was granted a month after a Muslim neighbor falsely accused her and her younger sister, Sonia Faryaad, of throwing a sack containing quranic pages in an open area near her home on Aug. 6, said the sisters’ attorney, Haneef Mattu. Residents of Kathore village Chak No. 304 Gojra, Toba Tek Singh District, Punjab Province, the sisters were falsely accused of blasphemy by Muhammad Haider after Saima Masih rejected his “indecent advances,” Mattu said.
Saima Masih, a volunteer medical examiner, has two children. Sonia Bibi, mother of three children and a teacher at an adult literacy center, managed to flee from the village together with her family after the allegations surfaced, Mattu said.
He had filed pre-arrest bail for Sonia Bibi that an extra sessions court rejected, he said. Mattu later filed her bail petition within the Lahore High Court but withdrew it after an initial police investigation cleared her of the alleged offense, he said.
Mattu said that after the court granted post-arrest bail for Saima Masih, he filed a petition within the Lahore High Court to quash the frivolous charges against the 2 sisters.
“There are several inconsistencies within the case, including the delayed filing of the First Information Report [FIR] and the absence of direct witnesses,” Mattu told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “However, the court turned down the petition, advising that we must always file a fresh application under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). This section allows the court to acquit the accused even before the framing of the costs.”
He is now awaiting the police report in an effort to begin proceedings under Section 265-K.
The sisters and their families at the moment are residing at an undisclosed location resulting from fears for his or her security, he said.
Akmal Bhatti, chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan, previously told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that a Muslim mob had attempted to kill Saima Masih when news of the blasphemy allegation spread in the world but timely police intervention had saved her life.
Sajid Christopher of the Human Friends Organisation said each women and their families have endured immense hardships, including wrongful accusations, death threats and prolonged legal battles, all of which have brought their lives to a standstill.
“Despite her release, Saima’s safety stays in jeopardy as societal pressures and the opportunity of vigilantism pose ongoing threats,” Christopher said. “Such accusations often result in the accused being ostracized, no matter their legal end result, which implies her life and that of her children remain under constant risk.”
He added that Sonia Bibi has faced much more severe challenges.
“Forced into hiding together with her three children, Sonia’s family was subjected to immense stress,” he said. “Although the investigating officer didn’t find Sonia guilty in his inquiry, the fear for her safety continues. The initial rejection of her bail by the sessions court further intensified the threats they faced, and even now, the family stays vulnerable to attacks from extremist elements who often act outside the legal framework.”
Christopher said that nobody should live in fear for his or her life resulting from blasphemy accusations, particularly when investigations fail to substantiate allegations.
“We call upon the authorities to be sure that each Saima and Sonia, in addition to their families, are supplied with adequate protection and that their safety is guaranteed,” he said. “Furthermore, there should be accountability for many who make false accusations, and the justice system must take immediate steps to guard the innocent from unwarranted harm.”
Minority rights activist Joseph Jansen said that the Christian sisters’ case was one other example of how blasphemy laws are used to settle personal vendettas.
“These laws, which carry the death penalty, have led to mob violence and extrajudicial executions,” he said. “This must stop before more innocent lives are lost.”
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of essentially the most difficult places to be a Christian, because it was the previous yr.
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