Nazir Masih, a 74-year-old Pakistani Christian man from Punjab, was accused of blasphemy. At his house, a violent Muslim mob gathered and attacked him and his family on May 25. His family managed to escape but set his house and shop on fire and beat him, leaving him with life-threatening injuries.

After the police managed to disperse the attackers, Masih was transported to hospital. He underwent surgeries, but despite the best efforts of doctors to save his life, he succumbed to his injuries and died on June 3 in the hospital. His body was released to the family and put to rest in a Christian neighbourhood in Sargodha. Family, relatives, and hundreds of mourners attended his funeral.

According to some accounts, about a thousand people gathered together for the lynching of Nazir Masih; 29 are already detained for interrogation, and the police are working on identifying 35 more members of the mob responsible for Masih’s death.

The lynching and the death of Nazir Masih caused widespread protests and condemnations among the Christian minority in the country. Christians were protesting against the abuse of the strict blasphemy laws. Bishop Azad Marshall expressed his concern and shock on social media.

“Today, every single Pakistani should be weighed by grief, not only for the atrocities in a foreign land but right here.”

Christian leaders raised their voices against the use of blasphemy laws. They said that accusing someone of blasphemy became the tool for settling personal and land disputes.

Source: UCAnews

Photo: Organiser