A Pakistani Christian won a rare bail grant on Monday (September 8) a day after he was arrested and charged with a blissful ASP, sources said.
Maan Shaukat Masi, a 25-year-old resident of Lahore’s Nishat Colony, was accused of demolishing a banner engraved in the name of a sacred Islamist. He voluntarily surrendered to police on Sunday (September 7) after his Muslim neighbor accused him of destroying a banner that was rolled up on the streets during Eid Mirad Un Navi, the birth anniversary of the Islamic Prophet.
Masi, a tailor, was on the street with a Christian friend when Muslims joined them, said Sohail Habir of Pakistan’s legal aid group.
“The everyday conversation gradually turned into religious debates, and then Maan and his Christian friends thought it would be better to go back to their homes and go back,” Habill told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. “On the other hand, some Muslim boys spread the word that Masi had pulled down the banner containing the names of Islamic saints, and that it caused religious tensions in the area.”
To resolve the issue, local Christian and Muslim leaders held a joint meeting, but the issue escalated due to provocations by elements of Islamic extremists, Habir said.
“They called for Masi to be arrested and charged with a blasphemous ASP, and warned that if the Christian inhabitants do not surrender him they must face the consequences,” he said.
Fearing the safety of his son and other Christians, Masi’s family decided to voluntarily hand it over to police before registering the case, Habir added.
However, hours after Masi’s surrender, Southcant police registered a case against him under Article 298 of the Blatant Asp on Muslim complaints, Habir said. Section 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code deals with crimes intended to injure any person’s religious feelings by certain actions or expressions and is punished by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine, or both.
Masi appeared in court at the Lahore Kant Judicial Magistrate Gram Shabil on Monday (September 8) when investigators sought a judicial remand. However, the judge acknowledged the defense attorney’s argument and granted Masi’s release on a guaranteed debt worth 50,000 Pakistani rupee (US$177).
“This is a rare case of a blasphemed defendant being released on bail after spending only a few hours after the bar,” he said. “This was only possible through the grace of our Lord, who answered the prayers of Masi’s family and other Christians in the neighborhood. This accusation was extremely tense as Amir Peter, another resident of the area, was arrested a few weeks after he was arrested on accusations of abandoning the Islamic prophet.”
Masi and his family moved to a safe location as a security precaution, he added.
Masi said he was shocked to learn about the accusations against him by his Muslim neighbors.
“We didn’t expect our argument to be arrested on charges as serious as the profanity ASP, even if it wasn’t offensive,” Masi told Star News for Christian Daily International Morning. “I have heard about the suffering of those accused of blasphemy, and experiencing it on my own left a profound impact on my life. When I was detained, I was very upset and uncertain about my future, but when the judge released my release, I am unable to express the joy and happiness I just felt.
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.
Human Rights Watch, a report from June 9, said Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have been systematically misused to target religious minorities, abandon 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.
Pakistan ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlists of 50 countries, the most difficult place to become a Christian.
