Pakistan's blasphemy machine claims two more Christians, with execution a possible outcome

Pakistan's blasphemy statutes keep working overtime, and their latest output consists of two Christian men. Both have been charged under provisions that, should the courts feel so inclined, allow for a death sentence. Theoretically, of course. Mostly.

Case one: the comparison nobody asked for

Chronologically, Amir Masih of Dhala Sharif came first. Morning Star reports that he was detained on Aug. 11. The accusation is that he posted a video on social media comparing Jesus Christ with Muhammad. Apparently, putting two religious figures side by side is now the kind of thing that can place a man's life in jeopardy.

Prosecutors charged Masih under Section 295-C. Clearly worried that one potentially lethal charge might look stingy, they threw in Sections 295-A and 298 for good measure. Both concern acts that wound religious feelings.

Case two: an arrest in a town named Muslim

Samuel Arif, from Punjab province, was the next to be picked up. According to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, police arrested him on Aug. 29 in a town that actually bears the name Muslim. No novelist would dare make that up.

The man who accused him, a Muslim, claims Arif said derogatory things about the Prophet Muhammad and about Aisha, Muhammad's third wife. As if that were not enough, he added a second allegation: that Arif harassed his underage daughters.

Arif now faces two sections of the penal code:

• Section 295-C, which covers derogatory remarks about Muhammad and mandates death upon conviction;
• Section 298-A, which covers disparaging comments about members of Muhammad's family.

Capital punishment for a few words. Some would call that a steep price. Pakistan's penal code, it seems, calls it proportionate.

A handy tool for private feuds

The aid organization HARDS Pakistan has its doubts about the accusations against Arif. One of its representatives told Morning Star that the claims are probably false and most likely stem from a personal dispute. That is hardly a novel scenario. Blasphemy complaints have long offered a remarkably efficient way to settle a grudge, with no lawyer required and only the other party left to worry about the gallows.

Eighth place, and holding

Anyone who follows these rankings will not be astonished. Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List ranks the 50 places where being a Christian is hardest, and Pakistan comes in at No. 8. It is a spot in the top ten that the country seems in no great hurry to give up.