On July 1, 61-year-old Amir Peter, a retired government employee and Christian man, died in custody in Pakistan, where he was accused under the country’s blasphemy laws. The Voice of Pakistan Minority, a leading minority rights organisation, has expressed grave concern over Peter’s death, stating that the allegations against him were never heard in court and his guilt was never proven. Peter, who had lived in Lahore’s Nishat Colony for over four decades, was accused of blasphemy by a shopkeeper after a verbal altercation. The rights body noted that the shopkeeper’s accusation was based on no clear statement and no credible evidence, but in Pakistan, an allegation is often enough to lead to arrest and imprisonment.
Peter’s family maintained his innocence, and human rights advocates pointed to serious deficiencies in the FIR, including the absence of any specific blasphemous remark. Despite these concerns, Peter remained behind bars, and his health deteriorated rapidly. Doctors later confirmed he was suffering from advanced dementia, which made him mentally unfit to stand trial. The Voice of Pakistan Minority stressed that the law should have acted with urgency and compassion, but instead, the legal process itself became the punishment.
The rights body highlighted the persecution of minorities across Pakistan, stating that blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal disputes and target minorities, including Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis. The organisation noted that for someone like Peter, who was elderly, ill, and marginalised, the system offered no urgency, no protection, and ultimately, no justice. The Voice of Pakistan Minority also referred to troubling allegations that Peter was pressured to confess to a crime he consistently denied, which reflects a deeper failure of the system.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News