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Pakistan: Christian Mother Granted Rare Bail in Blasphemy Case

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In a rare move for a Pakistani court, a trial judge in Punjab Province, Pakistan, last month granted bail to a Christian mother falsely accused of blasphemy, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.

A widow and the mother of two children, Saima Masih of Toba Tek Singh District, Punjab Province was arrested and imprisoned on August 6 after Muslim neighbors falsely accused her of desecrating pages of the Koran, CDI reports.

Following a number of applications and hearings, Masih was granted pre-trial bail by Additional Sessions Judge Gojra Waseem Mubarak on September 10, CDI reports. She had been in prison for just over a month.

“Despite her release, Saima’s safety remains in jeopardy as societal pressures and the possibility of vigilantism pose ongoing threats,” Sajid Christopher of the Human Friends Organisation told CDI. “Such accusations often lead to the accused being ostracized, regardless of their legal outcome, which means her life and that of her children remain under constant risk.”

In a current website report about the situation facing Christians in Pakistna, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization states: “Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws are often used to target minority groups, but Christians are disproportionately affected. Indeed, roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians, who only make up 1.8% of the population.”

Ruled by an Islamic regime which promotes harsh blasphemy laws, Pakistan ranks 7 in the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.