The blasphemy emergency continues (still)

Three cases have shaken the country’s conscience and raised the issue of abuse of the law once again: a Sindh doctor investigated for blasphemous publications and killed in a police shootout; a suspect killed by an officer in Quetta, his family forgives the killer; a Christian woman sentenced to death for WhatsApp messages.

Sindh () – Three new cases of abuse and extrajudicial executions related to blasphemy laws, which occurred recently in Pakistan, have once again focused the attention of the country and the international community on the abuses and violence linked to a controversial law that has already been the subject of controversy and condemnation. The first concerns a doctor, Shahnawaz Kumbhar, originally from Umerkot (Sindh), accused of sharing blasphemous posts on social media that some say were made through the man’s fake Facebook account. But the doctor died during an armed clash with the police in Mirpurkhas.

Prior to the attempted arrest, some religious parties in Sindh had promoted a violent protest and called for tough and exemplary action against Shahnawaz, demanding his immediate arrest. The Umerkot police chief claimed that a criminal investigation had been launched, but the organisers of the protest decided to stop it. After the death of Dr Shahnawaz, which occurred under unclear circumstances and apparently in the context of a fake police operation, religious leaders paid tribute to Captain Asad Chaudhary with slogans and hymns, as they had done for Mumtaz Qadri after she killed Salman Taseer.

The relatives of Abdul Ali, who was suspected of blasphemy and killed last week by a police officer in Kharotabad, Quetta, have expressed their forgiveness to the police officer. Despite the blood ties, the family strongly condemned the suspect, who was killed on an alleged blasphemy charge: “We never hesitate to give our lives in honour of the Holy Prophet,” they said. The relatives of the victim, who was killed without trial or verification of the charges, say they have forgiven police officer Syed Khan Sarhadi “in the name of Allah and without conditions” and that “we will not pursue the case against him in court.”

Commenting on the news, Halar Nawaz, editor and political analyst of Indo, said: “Now the fire of false blasphemy cases has spread to all provinces of Pakistan. This is the first case of murder in the name of blasphemy in Sindh province. [en referencia al homicidio del médico]and it is condemnable and execrable.” Not allowing the accused to appear before the judges, he warns, and “organizing a confrontation with the police and then handing the body over to the crowd to set on fire is a clear violation of the legal process, unconstitutional and unacceptable.”

The extrajudicial execution of Shahnawaz Kunbhar in Mirpurkhas, despite the fact that a case had already been opened against him under Section 295-C (punishing defamation of the Prophet Muhammad), raises serious concerns. The victim had previously stated that his Facebook account had been hacked, highlighting the growing problem of digital fraud and false accusations in connection with social media. Halar Nawaz goes on to reflect on how guilt can be established without proper legal investigation; this is compounded by the issue of executions, often linked to mob violence; executions carried out by law enforcement agencies, as well as scholars of Muslim law and the teachings of Islam, are also condemned. “Punishment – ​​concludes the expert – should be determined by the courts, not by the police, individuals or crowds.”

Meanwhile, a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) court in Rawalpindi yesterday sentenced a Christian woman, Shagufta Kiran (pictured), to death after finding her guilty of blasphemy. She had been arrested on July 29, 2021, for participating in a discussion on religious issues in a WhatsApp group called “Pure Discussion.” The complainant, Sheraz Ahmed Farooqi, claimed that her comments expressed in the group were “disrespectful” towards the Prophet Muhammad. The ruling has left her family, particularly her four children, distraught over a decision by the judges that they consider unjustified.

Rana Abdul Hameed, Shagufta’s lawyer with the human rights organisation Voice for Justice, says the allegations are baseless and motivated only by personal grudges, as is often the case when the law is used to resolve personal issues or disputes. Jubilee Campaign, a Netherlands-based advocacy organisation, provided legal assistance to the woman and is preparing to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Shagufta Kiran’s four children are in shock: “We have not stopped crying since yesterday and this news has brought more pain and trauma to our entire family,” said Nihaal, one of the daughters. “For the past four years – she adds in an interview with EU Today – we have suffered because of my mother’s case. She has been held in solitary confinement since 2021. God has sent us a great test.” The activists also call on the international community to denounce the continued abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, support the protection of religious minorities and defend fundamental human rights.