An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced a young Christian, Ehsan Shan, to death for allegedly reposting blasphemous images of a desecrated Quran on social media.
Shan is share “Blaithy content” was posted on the social media site TikTok and deemed to be a provocation to the anti-Christian mob violence that erupted in Jaranwala in August 2023.
At the time, accused of desecrating the Quran, a mob of around 10,000 Islamic extremists went on a rampage, destroying and burning down around 500 Christian homes and 26 churches in the Christian area of Punjab city.
Arresting officer Amir Farook said Shan “shared hateful content at a sensitive time when authorities are already struggling to contain violence.”
Police said the young man did not create and edit the profane content himself, but simply reposted it, which then went viral.
Shan’s death sentence, announced on July 1, requires him to initially serve a 22-year prison term and pay a fine of 1 million rupees, after which the death sentence will be carried out.
According to members of the local Christian community, Shan Scapegoat Punishment has been meted out to those who committed acts of mob violence, but not to those who attacked and burned Christian churches and homes.
Pakistani minority rights activists protest against the death sentence given to a Christian man for sharing a TikTok post that was deemed blasphemous, in Karachi, July 2, 2024. (RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFP via Getty Images)
“A grave injustice has now occurred. The sentence against Ehsan Shan represents the virtual death of all Christians in Pakistan today. Only one perpetrator has been identified as the perpetrator of the violence and destruction that took place in Jaranwala – a Christian,” the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Reconciliation (CLAAS) said in a statement.
“Why has the court imposed such an extreme sentence when those involved in the attack have yet to be punished?” asked Father Naveed Kashif, a local priest.
The case has reignited debate about Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and their impact, and drawn attention to the need for urgent reform of the laws, which critics say are often misused to settle personal scores.
There are numerous cases where individuals have been falsely accused and imprisoned, but simple accusations can also lead to mob violence and extrajudicial killings.
Khalil Tahir Sandhu, a Catholic lawyer who is also a Punjab senator and human rights minister, said the incidents “highlight a growing trend of mob violence in Pakistan and are adding to the sense of insecurity in society.”
He said the misuse of blasphemy laws and lack of judicial action “not only undermines Pakistan’s state fabric but also has serious implications at the international level.”
