Minority rights group raises alarm over custodial death of Christian man accused under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws

Islamabad: A leading minority rights organisation expressed grave concern over the custodial death of a Christian man in Pakistan who was accused under the country’s blasphemy laws, saying the allegations against him were never heard in court and his guilt was never proven.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the death of 61-year-old retired government employee Amir Peter on July 1 is a “stark indictment of a system where accusation becomes punishment, and delayed justice quietly turns into a death sentence.”

The rights body noted that Peter had lived in Lahore’s Nishat Colony for over four decades before an argument with a shopkeeper took a dangerous turn. Following a verbal altercation—reportedly involving physical assault—the shopkeeper accused Peter of blasphemy under the Pakistan Penal Code.

“No clear statement. No credible evidence. Just an allegation. And in Pakistan, that is often enough. From that moment, Amir Peter’s fate was no longer his own. Arrested and imprisoned, he became another name in a growing list of individuals—many from religious minorities—trapped in a legal and social nightmare triggered by blasphemy accusations,” it stated.

His family, the VOPM said, maintained his innocence, while human rights advocates pointed to serious deficiencies in the FIR, including the absence of any specific blasphemous remark. It added that despite these concerns, Peter remained behind bars, underscoring how, in such cases, the legal process itself becomes the punishment.

“As months passed, Peter’s health deteriorated rapidly. Doctors later confirmed he was suffering from advanced dementia—so severe that he was declared mentally unfit to stand trial. At that point, the law should have acted with urgency and compassion,” the rights body stressed.

Highlighting the persecution of minorities across Pakistan, the VOPM further said that blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal disputes and target minorities including Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis.

“Minor conflicts can escalate into serious accusations, where allegations alone trigger threats, violence, and prolonged detention. A slow and pressured judiciary further undermines timely justice, making due process unreliable,” it stated.

The VOPM noted that for someone like Peter—elderly, ill, and marginalised—the system offered “no urgency, no protection, and ultimately, no justice.”

Referring to troubling allegations that Peter was pressured to confess to a crime he consistently denied, it said, “If true, this reflects a deeper failure: a system where coercion can replace evidence, and the presumption of innocence is eroded.”

IANS