Pakistan’s court acquits Rimsha Masih of blasphemy charges

Islamabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed FIR in the Rimsha Masih blasphemy case, saying that one must be careful while leveling such charges in sensitive matters.

The chief justice of the court in its 15-page judgement said no one has seen Rimsha burning any pages. The IHC last week reserved its verdict on an application seeking to dismiss the Rimsha Masih case. The case was heard by IHC Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman.

During the hearing, Rimsha’s lawyer said that the case was fabricated and there were no witnesses to it. The burnt pages of the Holy Quran were added later to the ashes, he maintained.

The petitioner, however, said that he and his witnesses stand by their statements and the case was spoiled by the interior minister and the police. The prosecutor informed the court that challans against Rimsha and Maulvi Khalid Jadoon have been submitted to a lower court.

Rimsha, a 14-year-old Christian girl, was arrested from a suburb of Islamabad on August 16 after a neighbor accused her of burning papers containing verses from the Quran, in breach of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws.

On September 22, police investigating the case declared prayer leader Khalid Jadoon Chishti guilty, adding that there was no evidence against Rimsha and that he had framed her. Rimsha and her family, who have been in fear for their lives since the blasphemy allegations, were moved to an undisclosed location after her release on bail on September 8.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=35176

Posted by Web Desk on Nov 20 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.