Sept 11, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE:
A scuffle between two teenagers has led to a man being charged with committing blasphemy in Sahiwal, Punjab. A local anti-terrorism court remanded the suspect in police custody till September 13.
According to the first information report registered with the Ghala Mandi police station in Sahiwal, the man’s 17-year-old son scuffled with another teenaged boy in the locality on September 9. The son called his father for help, and they both allegedly started beating the other boy. The fight ended after the neighbours got involved.
The FIR states that the man whose son was involved in the scuffle made derogatory remarks about the companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) during the fight. A mob soon gathered in front of his house, with some local clerics raising chants in defence of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The man is said to belong to the Shia sect.
Ghala Mandi police rushed to the scene, and senior officials engaged in negotiations with the protesters. Police officers met with local elders and clerics at the station. After talks with the crowd, the police registered a blasphemy case against the suspect, based on a complaint from a local man who was not connected to the boys involved in the fight.
The alleged suspect was charged with offences under sections 298 (relating to hurting religious feelings) and 298-A (relating to derogatory remarks in respect of holy personages) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The offences carry maximum sentences of one year and three years respectively.
He was arrested from his house, and presented before a local anti-terrorism court. The judge sent him on a four-day physical remand.
According to Human Rights Observer Report 2024, published by the Centre for Social Justice, at least 329 persons were accused under blasphemy laws in 180 cases reported across Pakistan. Out of total persons charged in these cases, 247 were Muslims, 65 Ahmadis, 11 Christians, one Hindu, while the religious affiliation of five accused was not known. A large number of victims were Muslims (75 percent), and roughly half of Muslim victims belonged to the Shia sect, the report stated.