Sir: In a dramatic turn of events, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted prime suspect Khalid Chisti of all charges as six out of eight eyewitnesses changed their statements in the court on Saturday. Rimsha Masih, a minor, was arrested on charges of blasphemy on August 16, 2012 in Islamabad. The medical reports have confirmed that Rimsha Masih suffers from Down’s syndrome. On September 7, 2012 the additional district and session’s court of Islamabad granted bail to the accused. Later, on September 9, Rimsha was airlifted from Adiala Jail under the protective custody of the police. In June 2013, Masih, along with her family, was granted asylum in Canada.
This is the irony: the person who actually framed a minor has been acquitted by the court. This shows the weakness and the loopholes in the law and the system. The court declared the girl innocent; this was a test case for Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, showing how they are being misused. However, it seems that a person can accuse anyone on religious grounds and then get away with it as well. The decision to acquit Khalid Chisti is highly disappointing. Life For All Pakistan continues to call for the amendment of the blasphemy laws to stop their misuse.
XAVIER WILLIAM
Via e-mail
