PAKISTAN Two sisters freed after being accused of blasphemy (but still at risk of lynching)

Accused of throwing away a sack of used paper with sacred inscriptions, a fact they denied. The lawyer speaks of bad intentions towards the women, one of whom is also a widow. Activist Joseph Jansen: “This abuse of the law must be stopped before more innocent lives are lost.”

Toba Tek Singh () – The Toba Tek Singh court has released Saima and her sister Sonia, two women falsely accused of blasphemy, on bail. The sisters, originally from village 304 of Gojra tehsil in Toba Tek Singh district, had been accused two months ago of dumping a sack containing waste paper with sacred inscriptions on an abandoned land.

Saima, a volunteer health worker, and Sonia, who runs a school, vehemently denied the allegations, stating that they were not involved in the incident. “We live separately and we don’t throw any bags on that land,” Saima defended herself. I have been working with the Muslim community for years and deeply respect all the divine books. “The accusations are unfounded and were made with malice.”

According to their lawyer, Chaudhry Haneef Hameed Mithu, the case was brought with malicious intent against them, with the intention of settling personal scores. Mithu also pointed out that Saima is a widow and solely responsible for supporting her children after the death of her husband and parents. Despite the difficulties, he has continued to work for the community, which makes the accusations even more unfounded.

The court, headed by Justice Waseem Mubarak, granted bail to the two women after examining the case. Lawyer Mithu stressed that this is a significant victory as it is the first time that two women have been declared innocent in a blasphemy case. However, the threat of popular violence persists: the sisters and their families live in constant fear of lynching.

Minority rights activist Joseph Jansen expressed deep concern over the abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. «The case of Saima and Sonia is another 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. “This must end before more innocent lives are lost.”

Jansen cited recent cases of blasphemy-related violence, such as the murder of Nazir Masih in Sargodha in May 2024, the extrajudicial execution of a blasphemy suspect in Quetta on September 12, 2024, and the murder of Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbar at the hands of of a police officer in Umerkot district on September 18, 2024. In the latter case, Dr. Kanbar, accused of blasphemy, had fled the crowd only to be killed in police custody, while his body was set on fire when his family was trying to bury him. “It is time for Pakistan to protect its citizens and respect the rule of law,” Jansen concluded.