PUNJAB PROVINCE, Pakistan — Even though someone else has confessed to being the guilty party, a Christian man has been in a Pakistani jail for 6 months on a blasphemy charge that carries a mandatory death sentence.
Zimran Asim, a Catholic and the father of a 3-year-old girl, was arrested Aug. 27, 2023, in the Chak No. 37 village in Punjab province for allegedly desecrating pages of the Quran and displaying “blasphemous” messages. The news services Christian Daily International and Morning Star News say Akash Masih, a 17-year-old neighbor, has confessed to two “blasphemy” incidents in July and August.
According to a relative, Zimran apparently was implicated because he had given Akash a ride to a business.
The two were charged under four sections of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, one being Section 295-C (blaspheming Muhammad), which mandates a death penalty.
Zimran’s family has had to leave the village for security reasons, a relative told the news services.
Pakistan is No. 7 on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
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