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A Christian man has been arrested in Lahore under Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, following what local rights groups allege is a fabricated accusation stemming from a neighbourhood dispute—not a religious offence.
Aamir Masih, a retired government education worker and father of two, was taken into custody by South Cantonment police after Sanwar Ali, a Muslim shopkeeper in Nishat Colony, lodged a complaint accusing Masih of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The FIR was registered under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, a section that carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment or death.
The complainant alleges that Masih made the remarks during a discussion in his shop about the country’s current political and economic challenges. According to the FIR, Masih fled the scene when confronted.
However, local residents and human rights defenders have strongly contested the allegations, saying the charge is being misused to settle a personal grudge related to a drainage dispute.
