A 26-year-old Christian man has been arrested and placed on judicial remand in Lahore after being accused of blasphemy, prompting renewed concerns among rights advocates and members of the Christian community over the alleged misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
Samuel Arif, who previously lived with his family in Block A of the Punjab University Staff Colony, had continued visiting the area after moving to Saint Mary’s Colony in Gulberg following the death of his father, Arif Masih. His late father had worked as a sanitary worker at the university and the family had been allotted accommodation there.
Police registered First Information Report (FIR) No. 806/26 under Sections 295-C and 298-A of the Pakistan Penal Code. Section 295-C concerns alleged derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad and carries a mandatory death penalty, while Section 298-A covers remarks concerning holy personages and companions.
According to complainant Muhammad Umair Alam Khan, Arif allegedly stopped his two minor daughters inside the colony and used offensive religious language. Khan further alleged that Arif claimed the prophet had appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to marry the girls, and that he tried to put an unidentified substance on their faces.
After the allegations were made, a crowd confronted Arif at a gym in the colony and reportedly assaulted him severely. Police later intervened and took him into custody.
Arif’s family has rejected the allegations, saying he is innocent and has been falsely accused because of personal hostility. Rights advocates have also warned that blasphemy accusations in Pakistan can be exploited in personal disputes and may expose accused people and their relatives to serious threats of violence.
HARDS Pakistan (Human Assistance & Development Services), a non-governmental organisation, is providing legal assistance to Arif’s family. Lawyers Kashif Alexander Rajput and Nadia Hameed have also been appointed to represent him in court.
Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) and other advocacy organisations have urged provincial authorities to conduct a fair, transparent and impartial investigation. They have called for due process and protection for Arif, his family and witnesses, as well as action against anyone who attempts to take the law into their own hands.
Arif remains in judicial custody while his family and members of the Christian community await further proceedings and an investigation into the allegations.
Based on reporting by ICC.
