Pakistan court sentences 5 men to death for burning Christian couple

Jardine Malado Friday, November 25, 2016

Members of the Pakistani Christian community carry wooden crosses and a casket during a demonstration to condemn the death of a Christian couple in a village in Punjab province in Lahore on Nov. 5, 2014. | REUTERS/Mohsin Raza

Five men were sentenced to death on Wednesday for their participation in the lynching and burning of a Christian couple accused of desecrating the Quran.

In 2014, Shahzad Masih and Shama Bibi were falsely accused of throwing out the pages of the Quran in the rubbish. Witnesses have said that an angry mob of hundreds of people attacked the couple and threw their bodies into a brick kiln.

Other Christian families living near the couple's home in Punjab have fled in fear due to the attack, the Express Tribune reported.

As many as 103 people were charged but the Lahore court had acquitted 90, including the brick kiln owner who was accused of locking up the couple. The owner, identified only as Mr. Gujjar, allegedly tried to prevent the couple from leaving because of a debt they owed him.

Eight others were sentenced to two years imprisonment for their part in the attack.

"The five people awarded the death sentence were involved in dragging, beating and burning the couple while the other eight played a supportive role according to the judgement," said Riaz Anjum, the lawyer representing the couple's family.

The British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) has helped in providing for the needs of Shama and Shahzad's children including a nanny to take care of them.

BPCA chairman Wilson Chowdhry said that the family continues to receive death threats and he urged the Pakistani government to ensure the protection of the family.

Mukhtar Masih, father of Shama, said that the family was not able to attend the court proceedings due to safety concerns. He expressed his disappointment that the other participants have been acquitted.

"I am disappointed with today's result as my eldest daughter Yasmeen, who saw the whole incident witnessed at least 15 men involved in the brutal violence against my daughter Shama and her husband Shahzad. Only five of those men have been convicted with a death sentence yet the others poured kerosene over Shama and Shahzad and were also violent," he told BPCA.