LAHORE: Scores of civil society activists, including women, lawyers and students, Monday staged a demonstration against what they described as inhumane treatment meted out to a blasphemy accused, Sajid Mashi, in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The protesters were carrying placards with slogans inscribed on them against FIA official(s) and other departments concerned. They appealed to the Punjab government, federal government, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and others to take notice of the incident.
On Friday, Sajid Mashi, a Christian, got severely injured after he allegedly jumped off the fourth floor of the FIA Lahore Office building as FIA official(s) were investigating an alleged blasphemy case.
Shahid, a family member of injured Sajid Masih, told Daily Times that his cousin Patras Masih had shared some blasphemous material on a Facebook page. He added that Shahdara Town Police Station had registered a case under Section 295-C of the blasphemy law against Patras on the complaint of Hafiz Muhammad Awais. The complainant had alleged that Patras had posted some blasphemous material on a Facebook page on Jan 16, 2018.
Shahid said that police had arrested Patras and later handed him over to FIA Cybercrime Wing for interrogation. The FIA had summoned Sajid Masih to the headquarters for questioning after Patras said during preliminary investigation that he had shared a blasphemous image with his cousin via Facebook.
He alleged that FIA official(s) tortured him during the custody and later Sajid jumped off the fourth floor of the FIA Punjab Headquarters building. Shahid said that Sajid had claimed that he was forced to jump after the FIA investigators tortured him and later ordered him to have sex with his cousin, Patras.
Talking to Daily Times, Rwadari Tehreek Chairman Samson Salamat said that the incident could be an outcome of increasing intolerance in the society towards minorities. He demanded removal of FIA official(s) responsible for torturing the accused and subjecting him to maltreatment.
He added that the case should be an eye-opener for stakeholders… they should formulate a policy to stop misuse of blasphemy laws, which often led to harassment of the Christian community by hardliner religious groups after allegations of blasphemy.
“The Rwadari Tehreek is seriously concerned over the incidents of intolerance and persecution of religious minorities in Punjab,” he said, adding: “The harassment of the whole community after an allegation of blasphemy on any individual is unacceptable and may create uncontrolled damage if not stopped. We also demand an action against extremist outfits that are involved in spreading hate against minorities and are using blasphemy laws as a tool to victimise them.”
FIA Sub-Inspector Khalid Saeed said that the FIA had sent the main accused, Patras, on a judicial remand on Saturday. He rejected the allegation of torture and maltreatment. He added that on the day of incident Sajid Masih had panicked during the investigation. “At least five persons were present in the room at that time, including Patras, when suddenly Sajid jumped out of the window without any reason,” he said.
When contacted, an officer of Civil Lines Police Station said a case had been registered on the charges of an attempted suicide against a blasphemy suspect, who jumped off the FIA building during interrogation on the complaint of the FIA.
The victim, currently under treatment at Mayo Hospital, had received serious injuries. His multiple bones had been fractured. A Mayo Hospital official said that the injured had been admitted to the neurology ward in a life-threatening condition.
Published in Daily Times, February 27th 2018.
