by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A second Christian charged with blasphemy in Pakistan was released on bail pending trial last week after a court found there was no direct evidence in the three cases brought against him, Christian Daily International (CDI) reports.
The father of a four-year-old daughter, Zimran Asim was released on October 29 after the Lahore High Court granted bail on September 24 in the third blasphemy case registered against him, his attorney Aneeqa Maria said in a statement. The high court had granted him bail in the other two cases on July 29 and April 24, CDI reports.
“Asim was implicated only because he was seen once with the primary accused, Akash Masih,” Maria said. “Zimran Asim’s case is a fitting example of how innocent people are implicated in false cases by individuals as well as the police. This poor man was forced to suffer in prison, away from his family for over one year. They also lost their home and can’t even think of going back to their village.”
“I believe the blatant misuse of the laws has made the situation equally dangerous for blasphemy accused, their defense counsels as well as rights defenders,” Maria added. “The government must take this issue seriously in order to protect innocent lives and break this environment of fear.”
Asim became the second Christian charged with blasphemy to be released on bail after a high court found there major defects in the case against Chand Shamaun, who was freed on October 23. Shamaun is accused of inciting religious tensions in Okara, Punjab Province, by threatening to desecrate the Quran, CDI reports.
Ruled by an Islamic government which has approved harsh blasphemy laws, Pakistan ranks 7 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A political standoff is brewing in Washington after President Donald Trump vowed not to sign new legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, prompting warnings from Senate leaders that the move could trigger legislative gridlock.
An international law-enforcement operation has led to the arrest of 60 suspects and the rescue of 65 child victims following a year-long investigation across Central America, North America, and the Caribbean.
President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping new strategy to combat drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere, declaring that powerful trafficking networks should be treated as national security threats rather than ordinary criminal organizations.
Israel’s military says it has struck more than 600 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon and eliminated roughly 200 terrorists since the Iranian-backed group joined the regional conflict last week.
G7 finance ministers said Monday they will take “necessary measures” to stabilize energy supplies but added there is no plan yet to release strategic oil stockpiles after prices for the vital commodity surged over the weekend to a 45-month high.
The United States federal budget deficit totaled $1 trillion in the first five months of fiscal year 2026, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the joint U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran is “very far ahead of schedule,” declaring that the Islamic Republic’s military infrastructure has been largely destroyed and the conflict could soon come to an end.