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
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday for his first official visit to the Jewish state since taking office, as Washington and Jerusalem coordinate amid a rapidly escalating confrontation with Iran and growing Israeli concern over a possible U.S. sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey.
The United States launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after three commercial tankers were struck by projectiles in or near the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating pressure on Tehran and placing an already fragile ceasefire under one of its most serious tests.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired missiles at commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, escalating tensions just hours after massive funeral processions for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei featured chants of “Death to Trump” and “Death to Bibi.”
Prosecutors began presenting evidence Monday against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Christian conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event at Utah Valley University, as the state seeks to move the case toward a murder trial and possible death penalty sentence.
A Paris appeals court on Tuesday cleared a path for Marine Le Pen to potentially run in France’s 2027 presidential election, while upholding her conviction for misusing European Parliament funds and requiring her to serve one year under electronic monitoring.
China’s test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile across the Pacific has drawn condemnation from the United States and several Indo-Pacific governments, intensifying concerns over Beijing’s expanding military reach and lack of transparency.
NATO allies unveiled a sweeping package of new arms agreements Tuesday as President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara for a two-day summit expected to focus heavily on defense spending, burden-sharing, and the alliance’s continued support for Ukraine.