A Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy and attacked by a mob has died from his injuries

LAHORE, Pakistan – A Pakistani Christian accused of blasphemy and attacked by a mob last month succumbed to his injuries Monday, a police official said.

In the eastern province of Punjab, police have arrested more than 100 Muslim men and charged them under anti-terrorism laws for attacking a Christian father and his son, accusing them of desecrating pages of Islam’s holy book.

Nazir Masih, 72, suffered severe head injuries during the violence on May 25 and was taken to a hospital in Rawalpindi.

He died despite two operations and was buried under tight security in the city of Sargodha, said district police officer Assad Ijaz Malhi.

Videos from Sargodha showed Christians carrying Masih’s coffin through the street, shouting “Praise be to Jesus” and “Jesus is great.” The coffin was wrapped in a black cloth and carried a small crucifix.

Malhi said police had filed charges against 500 people for attacking Masih’s house.

The mob went on a rampage after locals said they saw burnt pages of the Quran outside the house and accused Masih’s son of being behind it.

The violence brought back memories of one of the worst attacks on Pakistani Christians in 2023, when thousands of people set fire to churches and Christian homes in Jaranwala, also in Punjab.

Muslim residents also claimed at the time that they had seen two men desecrating the Koran.

Blasphemy allegations are widespread in Pakistan, and under the country’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic figures can be sentenced to death.

Although no one has ever been executed on such charges, such an accusation alone can lead to riots and incite mobs to violence, lynchings and murders.