Lahore: A Christian youth arrested on
charges of blasphemy for allegedly desecrating the Quran was
found dead in mysterious circumstances in a jail in Pakistan’s
Punjab province on Tuesday.
Officials of the Sialkot district jail claimed Fanish
Masih alias Robert, 20, committed suicide by hanging himself
from a hook on the door of his cell.
However, leaders of the minority Christian community
alleged that Masih was "tortured to death" by jail officials.
They said the officials "staged a drama" about Masih
committing suicide.
Masih’s family said several signs of torture were
found on his body.
David Sohail, director of the Memorial Christian
Hospital in Sialkot, said there was "strong circumstantial
evidence" that Masih had been tortured to death.
Masih had been accused of desecrating a copy of the
Quran after snatching it from a teenage girl who was returning
home from a a mosque in Jaithikey-Sambrial village near
Sialkot, 80 km from here, a few days ago.
Following the incident, a Muslim mob burnt a Catholic
church and ransacked the homes of some Christians in the same
area.
After being arrested with some other Christian youths,
Masih was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a court
in Sialkot yesterday. Police in Sambrial have registered a
case against unidentified persons for burning the Catholic
church.
The situation in Sialkot and adjoining areas continues
to be tense over the alleged desecration of the Quran and the
burning of the church.
Eight Christians were killed last month when an angry
mob of Muslims torched 40 houses and a church in Gojra, 160
kilometres west of Lahore, over alleged desecration of Quran.
Christians, like other minorities, have been targetted
in Pakistan for flouting blasphemy laws, which was introduced
by former military ruler Zia ul-Haq. International rights
groups have urged the government to change the law because it
was being used to terrorise religious minorities.
Bureau Report
