Rights of Human

Humanity Around the Glob

Political abuse of Human rights in Pakistan

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Provincial and local governments have arrested journalists and closed newspapers that report on matters perceived as socially offensive or critical of the government or military. Journalists also have been victims of violence and intimidation by various groups and individuals. In spite of these difficulties, the press publishes freely on other matters, although journalists often exercise […]

Blasphemy case of Anwar Masih

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Anwar Masih, 32, from Lahore (Punjab) was arrested for blasphemy offences on November 28, 2003. He was charged under section 295 and 295-A of Pakistan’s Penal Code. On December 17, 2004, Lahore’s Judicial Magistrate Court in Lahore acquitted him on all counts. Things should have ended there; however, Mr Masih had to go into hiding, […]

Rashid Rehman Murdered Case

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A Pakistani lawyer and activist who had complained about receiving death threats after he took on a controversial blasphemy case, has been shot dead by gunmen who stormed into his office. Rashid Rehman was shot and killed by two men who entered his office at 8.30pm on Wednesday in the city of Multan and opened […]

BLASPHEMY CASE OF ANJUM SANDHU

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Anjum Sandhu, a Pakistani Christian who was on a death row since 2016 had been acquitted by a local court in 2018. Anjum was accused of committing blasphemy- was “clearly fabricated”, as his defense counsel termed it. The acquittal was a rare instance, as the court deemed lack of substantial evidence against Anjum. On March […]

BLASPHEMY CASE OF AJMAL NIAZI

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The Lahore High Court, in September 2013, suspended a lower court’s directions to the police to register a blasphemy case against columnist Ajmal Niazi for portraying Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as ‘secular’ in his columns and book. The court also issued the respondents a notice. An additional district and session’s judge, on September 5, directed the […]

Shopkeeper charged with blasphemy over selling shoes with Hindu symbol

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Sindh police had arrested a shopkeeper in 2016 over blasphemy charges, as he was selling shoes which had religious symbols of Hindus. The incident took place in Tando Adam district of Sindh, where shopkeeper Jahanzaib Khashkili was booked by the police, all the stock of shoes having Hindu symbols, was confiscated. Followed by circulation of […]

Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar 2014

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A trial court in Toba Tek Singh in April, 2014 handed death sentence to an uneducated poor Christian couple accused of texting blasphemous messages to local Muslims in Gojra, Pakistan Today has learnt. Advocate Nadeem Hassan, who represented Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar, in court, told Pakistan Today that Additional Sessions Judge Mian Amir Habib had announced the death […]