Tahir Bashir: A new chapter has begun in the persecution of followers of Jesus Christ in Pakistan

Tahir Bashir, a lawyer defending a Christian, announced a new chapter in the persecution of followers of Jesus Christ in Pakistan.

Tahir Bashir, the lawyer for a Christian citizen from Pakistan who was sentenced to death by a special anti-terrorism court on charges of blasphemy, intends to challenge the Supreme Court in protest of the verdict.

Parvez Masih, a 36-year-old Christian citizen from Pakistan, was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on Friday, April 18, on charges of insulting the Quran, the holy book of Muslims. His lawyer, Tahir Bashir, confirmed the death sentence on Monday, which coincided with Easter.

Tahir, who is protesting the verdict against his client, plans to challenge it in the Supreme Court. He said: “I pursued Parvez’s case in the Faisalabad Anti-Terrorism Court and have now appealed against the court’s decision in the Supreme Court. This verdict marks a new chapter in the ongoing persecution of followers of Jesus Christ in Pakistan. In addition to the death sentence, Parvez has also been sentenced to pay a fine of $12,500.”

Parvez Masih, who was arrested in 2023 on charges of insulting Muslim sanctities and insulting the Quran, caused widespread reactions from extremist Islamists, leading to a widespread attack on a Christian neighborhood in the city of Jaranwala in eastern Pakistan, which resulted in hundreds of houses and churches being burned down and thousands of Christians being forced to leave their homes.

In addition to Parviz Masih, two other defendants, named "Dawood William Masih" and "Shahid Aftab", also known as "Babi Masih", were also arrested in the case related to him, but were acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Blasphemy in Pakistan is punishable by very strict laws, including the death penalty. Although the Pakistani government has never executed anyone for this charge, Islamist extremists have repeatedly killed Christians or people who oppose Islam through extrajudicial killings. Human rights organizations, including the Christian organization Open Doors, have declared Pakistan one of the most dangerous countries in which to live as a Christian.

Christians are subjected to persecution, harassment, torture, arrest, heavy prison sentences, and fines not only in Pakistan but also in other Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. Considering that Pakistan, Iran, and other Muslim-majority countries are signatories to the International Covenant on Freedom of Religion or Belief, they violate human rights in the field of freedom of religion or belief and persecute Christians and other religious minorities.