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
The United States is turning to an unusual but highly effective combination of cutting-edge technology and trained marine mammals as it works to clear dangerous naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of global shipping.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is returning to Washington to participate in a second round of ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon set for Thursday.
Iran’s sweeping internet shutdown is entering its second month, leaving the vast majority of the country’s nearly 90 million citizens cut off from the global web amid ongoing tensions tied to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
President Donald Trump is weighing his next steps after negotiations with Iran broke down Tuesday before formal talks could even begin, raising fresh uncertainty over the fragile cease-fire and the path forward.
A sharp decline in violent crime across the nation’s capital is drawing renewed attention to law enforcement policies under President Donald Trump, as federal officials point to a more aggressive public safety strategy as a key driver behind the turnaround.
Hungary’s incoming prime minister Péter Magyar has signaled a sharp turnaround toward Israel, warning that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu could face arrest if he enters Hungarian territory after previously inviting him to visit Budapest, citing obligations to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
President Donald Trump’s Pentagon requested $50 billion from taxpayers on Tuesday for a budget so secret that the military will only say how much it costs.