Ninety-five percent of prosecutions in Pakistan for insulting the Prophet Mohammed or the Koran are false, according to a high-profile Muslim lawyer in the country.

The legal expert, who cannot be named for security reasons, said in most cases the law is abused by people bent on carrying out a personal vendetta. In a statement given to Aid to the Church in Need, the lawyer claimed that almost all prosecutions are against poor people who have “no status in society” and cannot defend themselves.

The lawyer’s statement comes at a time of heightened concern about Pakistan’s infamous Blasphemy Laws.

The Blasphemy Laws were introduced in the 1980s and controversy centres around Articles 295B which sentences people guilty of desecrating the Koran to life imprisonment and 295C which imposes the death penalty on those who insult the Prophet Mohammed.

In his statement, the lawyer highlighted abuses against the law both in court proceedings and police investigations, claiming that massive workload meant that cases were not investigated properly.

According to Pakistan law, evidence must be gathered within 14 days. The accused is arrested and incarcerated if the evidence suggests he is guilty.

Evidence gathering often takes 14 months during which time the accused is in jail.

According to the Catholic Church’s Commission for Justice and Peace in Pakistan, 38 people were accused of blasphemy last year, of whom 14 were Christians.   »»» Independent Catholic News

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