International
Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Asif Pervaiz, a 37-year-old
Pakistani Christian, has been sentenced to death for allegedly sending
blasphemous text messages in 2013. According to Pervaiz’s attorney, the
death sentence was announced by the court despite there being “no
evidence” to implicate his client in the case.
Earlier today,
Saif-ul-Malook, the attorney representing Pervaiz in court, tweeted that
his client had been sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
“Asif Pervaiz sentenced to death by trial court at Lahore for committing blasphemy although there was no such evidence,” Malook’s tweet read.
The
court’s decision comes almost seven years after the initial blasphemy
accusation was made against Pervaiz by a Muslim co-worker in October
2013.
On October 2, 2013, a Muslim named Saeed Ahmeed Khokar
accused Pervaiz of sending him blasphemous text messages from his mobile
phone. Blasphemy charges under Sections 295-A, 295-B, and 295-C of
Pakistan’s Penal Code were registered against Pervaiz at the Green Town
Police Station in Lahore.
When Pervaiz became aware of the
charges, he went into hiding. On October 9, after a week of searching
for Pervaiz, police arrested several of Pervaiz’s relatives, including
two brothers-in-law and his mother, Naseem Akhtar. According to Akhtar,
police told her that they would kill Pervaiz when they found him unless
she helped them locate her son.
Akhtar led the police to the home
of Waseem Anwar, Pervaiz’s brother. There, police beat Waseem until he
confessed to knowing where Pervaiz was hidden. On October 10, 2013,
Pervaiz was arrested by police in Sahiwal.
According to Pervaiz’s
family, Pervaiz and Khokar were co-workers at a garment factory named
Shami Textile, located in the Youhanabad neighborhood of Lahore. At
work, Khokar often pressured Pervaiz to convert to Islam, which Pervaiz
refused. Prior to October 2, Pervaiz reportedly lost his mobile phone’s
SIM card and did not request the company to deactivate it. According to
Pervaiz’s family, Khokar used the lost SIM card to send the blasphemous
text messages he used to register the false accusation against Pervaiz.
In
Pakistan, false accusations of blasphemy are widespread and often
motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. Accusations are
highly inflammatory and have the potential to spark mob lynchings,
vigilante murders, and mass protests.
Since Pakistan added
Section 295-B and 295-C to the country’s blasphemy laws in 1987, the
number of blasphemy accusations has skyrocketed. Between 1987 and 2017,
1,534 individuals in Pakistan have been accused of blasphemy. Out of
that 1,534, 829 accusations (54%) were made against religious
minorities. With Christians only making up 1.6% of Pakistan’s total
population, the 238 accusations (15.5%) made against Christians are
highly disproportionate.
Currently, 25 Christian are imprisoned
on blasphemy charges in Pakistan, including Asif Pervaiz. These 25
Christians are defendants in 22 blasphemy cases represented at various
levels of the judicial process in Pakistan.
ICC’s Regional Manager, William Stark, said, “We
here at International Christian Concern are saddened by the court’s
decision to sentence Asif Pervaiz to death under the blasphemy laws. We
are especially concerned that the death sentence was made with
reportedly no evidence being presented to support the blasphemy
allegation against Asif. The abuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws must be
curbed and false allegations must be rooted out and punished. Too often
these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir
up religiously motivated violence against minority communities. Without
real reform, religious minorities, including Christians, will face more
false blasphemy accusations and the extreme violence that often
accompanies these accusations.”
International Christian Concern is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on human rights, religious freedom and assisting the persecuted Christian Church around the world.
Media Contact
Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator
E-mail: press@persecution.org
Phone: (301)-859-3842
International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941, Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org | E-mail: icc@persecution.org
