LAHORE – A session court in the Punjab capital has sentenced a bicyclemechanic Ashfaq Masih to death, five years after he was arrested onblasphemy charges.
Reports in the media said Ashfaq, a resident of Mariam Colony in Lahore’sGreen Town, was detained after a row with a customer over payment for bikerepair.
A crowd had gathered, and accused the man of ‘disrespecting Islam’spersonalities’. He was then booked under Section 295 C and was detainedshortly.
The man claimed being framed on false charges, saying the other man Naveedwas jealous of his success. He maintained that Naveed and other personsalso tried to pick fights with him.
Read Top Stories
The blasphemy laws in South Asian country carry a potential death sentencefor anyone who insults religion. Blasphemy accusations also incite mobviolence and lynching.
