On Saturday (July 19), Pakistani police arrested and charged the 60-year-old Catholic on blasphemously after accusing the Muslim shopkeeper of overcharging, sources said.
Amir Peter of Nishat Colony, Lahore, the capital of Punjab, was charged under the controversial blasphemous Asp Act of the state relating to the disgrace of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet.
When Peter went to Ali’s store to buy some groceries on Saturday morning, Ali overcharged him for the items, leading to verbal vomiting, said Katherine Sapna, executive director of Law Group Christian True Spirit (CTS).
“Ari was angry at the Catholic responsibilities, and Ali began charging at the man and begging him,” Sapna told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. “Peter was rescued by several bystanders and then he returned home, but was arrested several hours later on for false blasphemous ASP accusations.”
Peter told her team that the charges were “completely unfounded” because there was no mention of religion or Muhammad during the argument.
“Peter also claimed he was beaten by police while in custody,” Sapna said. “Peter said the police pressured him to admit the false accusations, but he refused, saying he could not even think of anything dim-like about the Islamic prophet.”
According to Ali’s FIR, Peter first expressed his desire to leave Pakistan, suggesting that Ali do so too, then suddenly used a disrespectful language to Muhammad, she said.
“The claims made in the FIR have no meaning,” she said. Furthermore, the petitioner has not made any words or statements that constitute the disgrace of the Prophet Muhammad. The issue may have been resolved amicably by the police, but instead they allegedly tortured the innocent man and threw him into prison. ”
Sapna said the legal team will submit an application for Peter’s medical examination in light of traces of bruises on his face and body.
“If it is proven that Peter has been tortured by the police to elicit a false confession, we will pursue legal action,” she said, adding that future actions will be determined when police submit their charging sheets in court.
Peter’s younger brother, Pastor Henry Paul, is a priest of St. Francis’ Parish in the Kot Lakpat area of Lahore. He said Peter left low-level jobs at government colleges four years ago.
“The accusations against my brother are unfounded. He is trapped in this false accusation because he faced the store owner to benefit from his daily use products,” Paul told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. “We wanted senior police officers to investigate the issue before making a decision about the FIR, but we remained disappointed by their harsh actions.”
Bloody Asp remains a capital crime punishable by death in Pakistan. The state has executed no one under the law, but mere accusations have caused mob violence and have killed dozens of people in the past decade. Defendants often endure the constant threat of long pretrial detention, unjust trials and extrajudicial killings.
In a June 9 report, Human Rights Watch said Pakistan’s blasphemous ASP law has been systematically misused to target religious minorities, rob the poor, and resolve personal and economic conflicts.
“Broken accusations are increasingly weaponized to incite mob violence, indemnify vulnerable communities and seize property,” the 29-page report states, “Conspiracy to seize land: exploiting Pakistan’s blasphemous laws and laws for profit.”
According to the report, in some cases, blasphemous accusations were used to target the transfer of business rivals or property. It added that the broad, vague provisions of the law allow it to be exploited with minimal or no evidence, creating an environment of fear among vulnerable groups.
HRW criticized Pakistan’s criminal justice system for making these abuses possible. Authorities said perpetrators of mob violence rarely hold them accountable, but police often do not protect defendants or investigate allegations. In some cases, intervening officers face their own threats. Political and religious officials accused of inciting violence are frequently accused of fleeing arrests or acquitted for lack of political will or intimidation.
“The failure to prosecute the person responsible for past instigation and attacks has encouraged those who use these laws to force them in the name of religion and threaten their horror mail.”
She emphasized that the Pakistani government should urgently reform its blasphemous laws to prevent them from being weaponized.
Pakistan ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlist, where it’s the hardest place to become a Christian.
