Christian, accused of writing profanity content that caused violent riots in Jalanwara, Pakistan in August 2023, was sentenced to death on Good Friday (April 18) along with other severe penalties.
Pervaiz Masih had been arrested and charged under Pakistan’s widely condemned blasphemous laws. 295-B against the Quran’s exaggeration; 295-C against insulting the Islamic prophet; 120-B against criminal conspiracy; 34 against actions committed by several people to promote common intent. 37, this cites vicarious responsibility through mutual cooperation. and Section 9 of the Counter-Terrorism Act of 1997 is for offences related to the possession or use of explosives or other terrorist-related material.
Anti-terrorism Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh convicted Masih, aka Kodu, and sentenced him to death under Section 295-C with a fine of 2 million rupees (US$7,133). A 10-year prison and a fine of 1 million rupees (USD 3,566) for crimes registered under Section 295-A. Life sentence under Section 295-B. Five years in prison, fined 500,000 rupees (USD 1,783) under Section 9 of the ATA.
Masi is said to have conspired to accidentally involving another Christian, Umaiah Salem alias Raja Masi, in the case of devilish asp, to resolve his personal revenge. Court testimony showed that Pervaiz Masih’s wife, identified only as “T”, began a relationship with Raja Masih in 2020, and her husband was jailed in a drug peddling case. When Pervaiz Masih learned about the case after his release, he is said to have planned to revenge on Raja Masih by involving him in a false blasphemous case.
The court acquitted two other Christian suspects, Shahid Aftab and Dawood William, and gave the benefit of doubt. The two Christians were accused of helping Perveis Masi in crafting profanity content to induce Umaiah Salem and his brother Umas Salem, aka Rocky Masi. Christian Salem’s two brothers were arrested on charges of blasphemy, but they were discharged from the case after police investigation determined they were innocent.
Lawyer Nadeem Hassan, a legal aid organization’s true spirit of Christians, represents Shahid Aftab and Dawood William in this case. He said prosecutors had not proven that Aftab and William supported their relative, Perveis Masi, in the crime.
“William and Aftab are Masi’s relatives. It is said that William downloaded and printed photos of their two brothers, Rocky and Raja, and gave them to Masi, who used them in a blatant asp content.” “Aftab was accused of helping Masi write the blatant asp content of his house. However, the court acknowledged our argument that there was no direct evidence against the two Christians.”
Pervaiz Maish has the right to challenge the Counterterrorism Court’s ruling in the Lahore High Court, he added.
“There’s no Christian justice.”
Social media Christians criticized the verdict as too harsh, and many questions about the lack of Christian justice in the Muslim-led violence in Jalanwara, burning multiple church buildings, looting more than 80 homes and Christian businesses.
“The court has been convicted of Christians on allegedly carrying out a blasphemous act, but what about people who burn our churches and homes and now roam freely on bail?” said Pastor Gazala Shafik, a Karachi-based rights activist. “Why didn’t the police and the prosecutor investigate these cases with the same enthusiasm that they showed in Masi’s case?”
The Pakistani Church pastor said the harsh verdict given to Masi was “an Easter gift to Christians of the Punjab government.”
She said the judgement has suppressed Easter for Christians who have already been shaken up from inaction against the perpetrators of Jalanwara’s violence. More than 25 churches and 85 Christian homes in Jalanwara were plundered and looted by thousands of Muslim mobs after the Christian accusations of writing profanity and describing the Qur’an on August 16, 2023 surfaced. The attack sparked nationwide condemnation.
The suspects of more than 300 people arrested face trial in anti-terrorism courts, Akumalbatti, chairman of the Pakistani lawyers’ Minority Alliance, told Christian Daily International Morning Star News last August.
“The majority of suspects were either bailed out for defective police investigations or were discharged from the hospital,” he said.
Amnesty International has found out of the 5,213 suspects, 380 have been arrested and 4,833 have been arrested.
“Of of the suspects arrested, 228 were released on bail and 77 others were charged against them,” Amnesty said based on information from police after submitting their right to request information.
Trials for the suspects have not been launched, and according to Amnesty, about 40% of victims who lose their property are still awaiting government compensation.
“Despite the assurance of accountability of the authorities, severely inadequate behaviour has enabled an environment of immunity for the perpetrators of the Jalanwara violence,” Babu Ram Panto, Deputy Regional Director of South Asia at Amnesty International, said in a statement.
Bloody accusations are common in Pakistan, and those convicted of the charge of humiliation of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet, could be sentenced to death. Authorities have not yet been sentenced to death for blasphemy, but often the accusations alone can cause riots and incite violence to incite violence.
With a Muslim population of over 96%, Pakistan ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlist, where it is the hardest place to become a Christian.
