Rawalpindi:
(Shamim Masih) – Asghar Ali victim of blasphemy case was shot by the police constable within the premises of Central Jail Adayla Rawalpindi this morning.
According to reports, Asghar Ali s/o Hakam Dad, A Muslim by faith and victim of the notorious blasphemy laws (Section 295-C) of Pakistan, case FIR No. 665/10 PS Sadiqabad, was being confined in Adalia Jail, Rawapindi.
Today he was shot by a police constable named Yousaf, who was appointed for his security. He was immediately taken to hospital and is in critical condition.
Mr Ali was sentenced to death in January. Today’s shooting incident occurred within the confines of the prison.
It is reported that Asgher Ali wrote a letter claiming to be a prophet and was arrested in 2010. Local religious leaders claimed this to be an attack on Islam and called for him to be killed.
Any victim of the blasphemy laws of Pakistan is punishable by death. However the death sentence is rarely applied, though the number of extra-judicial killings is growing to a significant percentage.
Another Christian blasphemy victim Zafar Bhatti is incarcerated at the same jail. Although he has not been attacked fears are growing about his safety. Moreover, rumour persists that he has also been attacked but the BPCA can confirm he is safe.
Chairman of the BPCA; Wilson Chowdhry, said;
“We call for safety of all victims of blasphemy in any prison cell. Too often extra-judicial killings have prevented innocent victims from obtaining justice of freedom. This poor man has lost his life, we now call for better protection for Zafar Bhatti a Christian victim of Blasphemy in the same jail and ask that people pray for his safety.”
