CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: Christian Woman Remains in Jail on False Blasphemy Charges after a Judge Denied her Bail in Pakistan
CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: Christian Woman Remains in Jail on False Blasphemy Charges after a Judge Denied her Bail in Pakistan
A Christian woman in Pakistan remains in jail on false blasphemy charges after a judge denied her bail application on Monday (June 3), according to sources.
Stella Khawar, 28, was arrested on May 12 in Kharota Syedan, in the Kotli Loharan district of Sialkot District, Punjab Province, and charged with offending Muslims’ religious sentiments, according to her husband, Khawar Shahzad.
“The lawyer says he will now file for bail in the sessions court. I don’t know what will be the outcome due to the pressure being exerted by religious groups, but my priority right now is to keep my child safe from any harm.”
– Khawar Shahzad, Husband of Stella Khawar
Kotli Loharan is home to approximately 300-350 Christian families.
Khawar Shahzad, a member of a Pentecostal church, stated that the most recent instance occurred in the area on May 10, when someone discovered blasphemous content written on a paper.
Instead of filing a fresh First Information Report (FIR), police identified Stella Khawar in FIRs filed in August and January against “unknown persons,” he stated.
“We were at my in-laws’ house on May 12 when police came and took Stella into custody. They claimed that they had ‘concrete’ evidence that she was responsible for the incidents of alleged blasphemy. We were dumbfounded by the allegation, but there was nothing we could do to stop the police from taking Stella with them.”
– Khawar Shahzad
The couple have a 4-year-old son.
Khawar Shahzad stated that he has not been able to meet with his wife since she was arrested.
“My wife is a devout Christian, and like other members of the community, she too was very upset after the attacks in Jaranwala. However, she never said or did anything in front of me or other family members which showed that she could be involved in any such activity.”
– Khawar Shahzad
The complainant in the charges against his wife and other Muslims is putting enormous pressure on him not to pursue a defense for her, he claims.
Stella Khawar was arrested twice by Kotli Loharan police on blasphemy charges: once on August 27 and again on January 7.
Both FIRs were filed by Syed Jawad Ali, a local Muslim prayer leader, stating that anonymous individuals threw blasphemous content in several locations throughout the village with the intent of inciting religious tensions between the Muslim and Christian communities, according to Khawar Shahzad.
The accusations were filed under Section 295-A of the blasphemy statutes, which mandates 10 years in prison for individuals guilty of intentionally offending religious emotions, and Section 505, which pertains to purposefully instilling terror in the public and endangering public tranquillity.
It carries a maximum 7-year prison sentence.
NEWS SOURCE & LINKS:
Christian Daily International–Morning Star News
Christian Woman REMAINS IN JAIL ON FALSE BLASPHEMY CHARGES after a Judge Denied her Bail in Pakistan | Christian Breaking News!