Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Pakistan Court Acquits Second Christian Of Blasphemy
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
LAHORE, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A court in Pakistan has acquitted a second Christian of blasphemy, just days after another believer was also cleared of similar charges.
Worthy News learned Friday that a sessions court in the Pakistani city of Lahore ordered the acquittal and release of Zafar Masih Swati.
The Christian man had been charged under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code for the alleged desecration of the Koran, deemed a holy book by Muslims.
Swati had been detained in Lahore Camp Jail since January 2025, Christians told Worthy News.
“After reviewing the evidence and legal record, the court found insufficient grounds to sustain the prosecution’s case,” confirmed advocacy group LEAD Ministries, which closely followed the case.
SECOND ACQUITTAL
Additional Sessions Judge Abdul Ghaffar ordered Swati’s immediate release, Worthy News learned.
The ruling comes just days after another acquittal in Lahore, where the same court cleared Nadeem Masih, a blind Christian man who potentially faced the death penalty for alleged blasphemy against Islam.
Masih had been charged under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. “It is a blasphemy provision that carries the possibility of the death penalty,” LEAD Ministries founder Sardar Mushtaq Gill told Worthy News.
Christians said the charges were false, and the court agreed, ending months of legal uncertainty for the 49-year-old Christian laborer.
The latest acquittals add “to a growing number of cases in which Pakistani courts have dismissed blasphemy allegations due to lack of evidence or procedural shortcomings,” LEAD Ministries observed in a statement to Worthy News.
PERSECUTION CONTINUES
“For many observers, it highlights both the importance of judicial scrutiny and the persistent vulnerabilities faced by religious minorities in Pakistan’s legal and social environment,” Gill told Worthy News.
Pakistan ranks eighth on the 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution, according to the Christian advocacy group Open Doors.
The organization says believers endure widespread discrimination, violence, forced conversions, and the frequent misuse of blasphemy laws, with accusations often triggering mob attacks or lengthy imprisonment even before courts reach a verdict.
Christian advocates say the latest court rulings demonstrate the importance of an independent judiciary, particularly in cases involving Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A reported Houthi attack has struck Saudi Arabia’s strategically vital East-West oil pipeline, the massive cross-country system designed to keep Saudi crude flowing even when the Strait of Hormuz is threatened or closed.
Spanish-Moroccan relations, already strained over migration, faced more pressure Friday after Spain’s lower house of parliament approved legislation that would grant Spanish citizenship to tens of thousands of Sahrawis born when Madrid administered Western Sahara.
Russia launched fresh air attacks on Ukraine early Friday after NATO reportedly confronted Russian vessels trying to sabotage undersea cables, highlighting concerns that Moscow is attempting to extend the war by targeting Europe’s critical infrastructure.
Iran-backed Houthi forces seized Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha, raising fears for global shipping as escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel.
The United States and its allies are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the worst terror attacks on American soil, which had worldwide implications ranging from wars to increased surveillance.
Several impoverished Christians have died across Pakistan in recent days amid what advocates describe as a pattern of violence, discrimination and hardship potentially threatening the Christian community throughout the predominantly Muslim nation, Christian sources told Worthy News.
Numerous people were dead or injured after a tourist coach carrying 48 Dutch travelers crashed and overturned in the Swiss Alps, authorities and travel officials confirmed.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com