A Muslim mob in Pakistan set fire to a Christian’s house and shop on October 9 after he was accused of blasphemy. The incident forced more than 35 Christian families to subsequently flee their homes amid fears of further violence.
The previous day, police arrested Kamran Masih, a 40-year-old Christian father of three who ran a small pharmacy in Gharial Kalan village of Punjab Province. Local Muslims had accused him of sharing a blasphemous video in WhatsApp groups, a source told the Christian Daily International-Morning Star.
“As word of Masih’s arrest spread, his family and other Christians started fleeing the village, fearing a mob attack,” the source added.
Dozens of Muslims gathered outside Masih’s shop and adjacent residence on October 9 to protest, and some set both buildings on fire, the source said.
Ejaz Alam Augustine, a Christian member of the Punjab Assembly, said he and other Christian lawmakers had remained in contact with police and district authorities throughout the day to ensure residents’ safety.
“The police’s timely action of taking Masih into custody helped in containing the situation; otherwise, things could have gone out of hand,” Augustine said.
According to Pakistan’s laws, blasphemy against Islam is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Blasphemy accusations have repeatedly triggered mob violence, extrajudicial killings and prolonged detention of suspects awaiting trial.
On July 9, for instance, a violent protest erupted in Karachi, Sindh Province. Unidentified people allegedly mailed a desecrated page of the Quran to a Muslim shopkeeper, along with photographs of a Christian man and his mother.
