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Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) has said that it is "highly concerned" over the rising number of cases of blasphemy and violence based on religion and beliefs, adding that it has been providing assistance to victims of religiously persecuted individuals.
In a media statement, HRFP said that a Christian youth, Basharat Masih, was accused of another blasphemy offence and as per the FIR dated June 6, 2024, blasphemous contents were being uploaded from a Facebook account and Basharat has been falsely accused after finding the Facebook ID in his phone. HRFP fact findings team visited the locations and gathered information through Basharat Masih's father George Masih when he visited the HRFP office. According to an HRFP press release, George Masih said that his son Basharat Masih has disappeared since 26 June 2024 when he was travelling to Naran Valley from Faisalabad and recently he got information that he was heading from Faisalabad to Rawalpindi, and he was arrested in Rawalpindi city and sent to jail. HRFP team found that Basharat Masih was falsely accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media, allegedly insulting the Prophet. However, Basharat has said that he is innocent and has been trapped for blasphemy. Similarly, Waqar Masih, a Christian man was attacked by two Muslim men in Chack 209 G.B village in Faisalabad district of Pakistan and forced to work in their farmhouse. On September 2, Imran Ali and Muhammad Zubair were released on bail after the shooting and FIR registration, according to HRFP press release. Waqar Masih and his family have been hiding as they are facing extreme threats. Imran Ali and Mohammad Zubair and their religious and political allies threatened Ishaq Masih, Waqar Masih, Shamaun Masih and other family members, according to HRFP press release. So, all of them left the village and have been hiding, details of which they shared during their visit to the HRFP office. A Christian girl, Dia Iftikhar, was kidnapped since September 12 and allegedly a Muslim man, Muhammad Ghazal, from Jaranwala forced her to marry and convert to Islam. A FIR was registered at the local police station on September 13 after the complaint of Dia Iftikhar's mother Shahida Bibi. However, police never took any actions yet against the abductor and facilitators. The police have not been able to find Dia Iftikhar as they along with religious and political figures, provided support to the kidnappers and put pressure on her parents to give up the case and agree to all their demands the HRFP alleged. A team of the rights body gathered facts and documents and started providing assistance after Iftikhar's mother Shahida Bibi visited the HRFP office and requested possible assistance. According to HRFP, Attia Bibi, a Christian girl from Faisalabad faced physical violence on August 10 during the attempt of abduction when she was going with her family from her village Chak 34 JB to Aminpur Bangla. On the way, two people followed her on a bike and tried to kidnap her. Later, the same Muslim man and others attempted to kidnap her and her sister, Ulfat Bibi. The FIR has not been registered due to the influence of the criminals and the court proceedings are still ongoing, alleged the rights body. HRFP is assisting them as Attia Bibi and her husband Naveed Masih visited the HRFP office to share the details and request help. The press release reads, "Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) said that the doubts of blasphemy allegations suffice to know through the recent investigation reports of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), as per following their official letter dated 9 January 2024, entitled "The Blasphemy Business- A Suspicious Gang is trapping youth in blasphemy cases and extorting money from them after approaching FIA in Rawalpindi and Islamabad"." Naveed Walter said that Basharat Masih and his father George Masih also exposed the same trap of some people. Naveed Walter said these reports only are not enough but given that the number of such cases is still increasing rapidly and called on the state to action to stop it. Naveed Walter said, the cases of abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages, violence and religious persecution have been witnessing a rise and mentioned victims like Dia Iftikhar, Attia Bibi and Waqar Masih. Furthermore, HRFP expressed concern over the attack on the house of Christian nurse, Azra Perveen, in Khanewal, by Arshad Khan and Sardar Baloch on September 23. On September 20, Imran Masih was subjected to severe physical violence by Rana Irfan and Rana Kashif in Mahluwal Sheikhpura. On September 16, Javaid Masih and his wife Shakeela Bibi and son Haroon Masih were abducted by a brick kiln owner, Muhammad Saif, in Sheikhupura. On September 9, Shahbaz Masih was attacked by three men through Yamna Bibi at Circular Road Bahawalnagar. On September 6, Quranic verses were found on the walls of Holy Trinity Cathedral Karachi, for attempts to attack and take possession of the Church. On September 3, police charged Saba Buta, Anita Buta, Jonathan Howard, Adeel Shimoun and Fabian Masih with blasphemy at the railway station in Rawalpindi. On August 30, a Christian man, Samson Manzoor, was forced by the police to take an oath holding a Bible in his hand to prove that the items in his home were indeed stolen by unidentified persons. On August 29, a pregnant Christian woman, Samira, received unfair treatment at Kacha Khoh Mian Chanu Hospital and she died. On August 26, Tabish Shahid and Kalu Shahid were accused of blasphemy at Baba Raunq Shah's Mela Kasur. On August 25, Taj Masih's daughter was gang raped by Muhammad Asif, Nazeer Ahmad, Muhammad Yasir and Muhammad Aslam in Bahawalpur. On August 23, a Christian girl, Dia Aslam, was abducted, forcefully converted and forcefully married by Bilal Hakeem in the factory area of Lahore, according to the press release. On August 18, an Ahmadiyya man, Owais Ahmed, was accused of blasphemy by Mohammad Imran in Naduke Narwal. On July 23, Neha Javaid and Sneha Javaid were abducted, forcefully converted and forcibly married by Muhammad Zain and Muhammad Ali in Kasur. On June 26, Warda Emmanuel was abducted, forcefully converted and forcefully married in Faisalabad. Naveed Walter noted that a well-known Muslim cleric Mufti Tariq Masood was also accused of blasphemy for his video's content on September 20, making blasphemy issues as serious as debatable. According to the press release, HRFP has been actively monitoring, raising and responding to these human rights violations in Pakistan, including false blasphemy accusations, abductions, forced conversion and forced marriages of minority girls, desecrations of religious beliefs, and physical violence targeting minorities and other cases. (ANI)
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