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REX/ZUMA
World News

Pakistan: Christians jailed for six years on blasphemy charges

by Antony Bushfield

The pair were sentenced for allegedly 'instigating sectarian hatred and hurting religious feelings and sentiments of the Muslims'.

They were part of a group detained after a pastor published a poster relating to an ordination ceremony using the word "rasool".

Rasool means messanger in Arabic and is often used to refer to the Prophet Muhammed.

Bushra Zaman Court cleared five men of the accusations but convicted Pastor Aftab Gill and Hajaj Bin Yousaf and jailed them for six years.

CLAAS, a charity providing free legal aid and support to those who are charged under Pakistan's blasphemy law, told Premier people were using the law to settle personal scores.

"During the last month at least three Christians were accused of blasphemy," a spokesman said.

He added: "Imran Masih in Mandi Bahauddin for having an objectionable video on his phone; in Gujarat against a Christian seamstress, Sonia Gill, who was sitting on a banner bearing sacred Islamic names; and in Faisalabad against a Christian man, Usman Liaqat, for allegedly posting some comments on social media about eight months ago.

"Christians are living under constant threat because of growing misuse of the blasphemy law and are continuously demanding changes or at least the introduction of safeguards to this law, to stop the misuse of this law.

"But it is all falling on the deaf ears of the Pakistani government despite calls from the international community."

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