Blasphemy laws were among oppressive measures opposed in protest in Faisalabad, Pakistan on National Minorities Day on Aug. 11, 2026. (Minorities Alliance Pakistan)

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – One Christian in Pakistan was arrested and charged with blasphemy on Saturday (Aug. 29) and another faced the same accusation on Aug. 11 under laws that carry the death penalty, sources said.

Police on Saturday arrested Samuel Arif, 26, in Lahore’s Muslim Town area, in Punjab Province, after a Muslim accused him of making derogatory remarks about Muhammad and the Islamic prophet’s wife, Aisha, and allegedly harassing his minor daughters.

Muhammad Umair Alam Khan alleged in a First Information Report (FIR) that the incident occurred on Friday evening (Aug. 28) in Staff Colony of Punjab University.

“The accused told my daughters that Prophet Muhammad had appeared in his dream and asked him to marry the two girls,” Khan alleged in the FIR. “He also used provocative words against the prophet and his wife, Aisha.”

Khan claimed that Arif had applied an unidentified substance to his hands and attempted to put it on the girls’ faces, but that they fled. He said Arif followed them to their home, and that the incident was recorded by a CCTV camera.

Police registered the case under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which criminalizes derogatory remarks against Muhammad and carries the death penalty, and Section 298-A, which prohibits derogatory remarks concerning the wives, family members and companions of Muhammad and carries a prison term of up to three years under current law.

Sohail Habil of aid group HARDS Pakistan said Arif’s family has denied the allegations and believes he may have been falsely implicated because of a personal dispute.

Arif’s family lived in the staff colony for more than 10 years when his father, Arif Masih, worked at the university as a sanitary worker, Habil told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. The family moved to Saint Mary’s Colony in Gulberg after his father’s death, but Arif continued to visit the staff colony to meet friends.

“It is possible that someone has trapped the youth to settle a personal score, but things will become clearer when we meet him in prison,” Habil said.

Second Christian Arrested

On Aug. 11, police arrested Amir Masih, a 30-year-old laborer from Dhala Sharif in Gujranwala District, for allegedly posting a video on social media that compared Christ and Muhammad.

Masih was charged under Section 295-C, as well as Section 295-A, which criminalizes deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and carries a prison term of up to 10 years, and Section 298, which covers deliberate acts intended to wound religious feelings and carries a prison term of up to one year.

Repeated attempts to contact Masih’s family after his arrest were unsuccessful. A local pastor familiar with the case said police took Masih’s family members into protective custody when he was arrested, and later they went into hiding after he was transferred to judicial custody at Gujranwala District Prison.

“Masih is married but has no children. No further information is available about the whereabouts of his family,” said the pastor on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) on Saturday (Aug. 29) called on authorities to ensure Masih receives a fair trial and that he and his family are protected. The organization said Masih was arrested the same day minority communities observed National Minorities Day.

Three Muslims filed a complaint accusing Masih of hurting their religious sentiments through an alleged comparison of Islam and Christianity, according to HRFP. The organization said its fact-finding team found that Masih, an impoverished bonded laborer, may have been falsely implicated and raised questions about the authenticity of the social media account from which the video was allegedly posted.

“Filing a complaint does not constitute proof of guilt,” HRFP said, urging authorities to conduct an independent investigation.

Several Christian families have fled their homes because of fears of mob violence due to the accusation, according to HRFP. Local sources disputed that claim, saying that although religious tensions initially rose in the area, the situation had returned to normal following Masih’s arrest.

“Amir Masih’s case, like all cases involving allegations of religious offense, requires particular care, transparency and impartiality,” HRFP President Naveed Walter said in the statement. “Such allegations can quickly create tensions and place entire communities at risk. The authorities must ensure due process, equal protection under the law and the safety of all those affected.”

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have long faced criticism from human rights organizations and legal experts, who say the laws are vulnerable to misuse in personal disputes and other conflicts and have been used against religious minorities. Although Pakistan has not carried out a state execution for blasphemy, accusations have repeatedly led to mob attacks, extrajudicial killings and prolonged detention of suspects awaiting trial.

On July 8, government officials told a parliamentary committee that a majority of 333 blasphemy cases registered over the previous five years in four provinces were fabricated.

Provincial home secretaries and senior police officials told the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights that fabricated cases included allegations against Christians and members of other religious minorities. The meeting, chaired by Sen. Samina Mumtaz Zehri in Islamabad, reviewed official data on blasphemy cases registered in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

Punjab recorded the highest number of cases under Section 295-C, with 116 cases registered during the five-year period. Officials said 56 percent of those accused were Muslims and 14 percent belonged to religious minority communities. Sindh recorded 96 cases under Section 295-B, concerning alleged desecration of the Quran, and 29 cases under Section 295-C.

Police told the committee that, of the 29 Section 295-C cases registered in Sindh between 2023 and June, charge sheets had been filed in 22 cases, two remained under investigation, three involved unidentified suspects and two FIRs had been quashed because of legal or procedural deficiencies.

Of the 96 Section 295-B cases, prosecutors had submitted charge sheets in 69, while six remained under investigation, four had been quashed and 17 had been registered against unidentified suspects.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported more than 90 blasphemy cases during the period, while Balochistan recorded 28, according to the data presented to the committee.

Provincial officials acknowledged that personal vendettas, family disputes and other private conflicts were frequently behind blasphemy allegations. In some cases, officials said, investigations failed to uncover evidence supporting the allegations, resulting in the cases being dismissed.

Open Doors ranked Pakistan eighth in its 2026 World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. The organization cited systemic discrimination, mob violence, forced conversions, bonded labor and gender-based violence, and said weak law enforcement and widespread impunity have allowed perpetrators of anti-Christian violence to evade accountability.

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