Christian in Pakistan Released after Accuser Admits False Blasphemy Allegation
In a rare move in Pakistan, police discharged a 72-year-old Christian from a blasphemy case after the complainant admitted she had falsely accused him, sources said.
Younis Bhatti, known as Bhagat, had been arrested and charged with desecrating the Quran under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes, which carries a mandatory life sentence, in village 211-RB, Jaranwala Tehsil, Faisalabad District, Punjab Province, on Saturday (Feb. 10).
Younis Bhatti, known as Bhagat, had been arrested and charged with desecrating the Quran under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s blasphemy statutes, which carries a mandatory life sentence, in village 211-RB, Jaranwala Tehsil, Faisalabad District, Punjab Province, on Saturday (Feb. 10).
Sosan Fatima, a member of the Brethren house church founded by the Bhatti family, had accused him of forcing his way into her house when she was reading the Quran, assaulting her, and tearing the Islamic scripture. In her complaint, Fatima also stated that Bhatti opposed the family’s alleged conversion to Islam.
Bhatti had provided Fatima with free housing on his land, and she had objected to his plans to divide her home with another needy Christian family. He said that after police heard his statement, officers brought Fatima and her husband to the station the next night and questioned them in his presence. He added that police also tried to record other Christians’ statements.
Bhatti said police told him they would remove his name from the First Information Report (FIR) but could not immediately release him because of the threat to his life. After the blasphemy allegations surfaced, announcements on mosque loudspeakers incited over 500 Muslims to protest, causing many area Christians to flee their homes.
“I can’t thank God enough for rescuing me from this dangerous accusation,” Bhatti said. “Those who sought to implicate me in the fake case were instead booked under the same charges. God works when you fully put your faith in Him.”
He also expressed gratitude for the aid of a Christian rights organization.
Fatima had told Khurrianwala Police that she and her husband, Samuel Masih, alias Amanat Ali, converted to Islam more than a year ago. Younis Bhatti said that his faith in Christ gave him the courage to face the false allegation boldly.
He took the advice and visited a nearby village to meet a friend.
“I came to know about the issue a couple of hours later when someone informed me on the phone that Fatima had raised a clamor after I left, accusing me of desecrating the Quran,” Bhatti said.
He said the caller also told him that all Christian residents in the area had fled their homes after the announcements were made by mosque loudspeakers, telling Muslims to gather and protest against the alleged blasphemy.
“I have always trusted the Lord with all my heart, and I knew He would not forsake me,” Bhatti said. “This faith encouraged me to return to my village instead of fleeing from the situation. When I reached there, I saw that around 500–600 Muslims were shouting slogans against me.”
He hid from the mob, fearing they would not hesitate to attack him, he said.
“I hid in a place where I could observe the situation discreetly and waited for God’s intervention,” he said. “I was continuously praying in my heart all this time. As soon as I saw the police arrive, I left my cover and ran towards them. I told them my name and said I wanted to surrender myself.”
Police escorted him out of the area amid the angry mob, he said.
‘Miracle’
Asher Sarfaraz, head of the group that provided legal aid to Bhatti, Christian’s True Spirit (CTS), said Bhatti’s discharge within two days was “a miracle.”
CTS was in constant contact with the relevant superintendent of police and shared their findings with him, he said.
