A Christian tailor master in Pakistan allegedly accused of blasphemy
Anwar Masih, 56, a tailor master was arrested on June 02, 2020 and accused of passing derogatory comments about the Prophet Muhammad on telephone call. A case FIR no. 237/2020 has been registered in the Civil Line Police Station Lahore on June 02, 2020 under offense section 295 – C of the Pakistan penal Code and send to the Jail on June 03, 2020 on judicial remand.
On June 2, 2020 the same evening when Anwar Masih was arrested by the police Imran Anwar and Kamran Anwar approached CTS for the legal assistance and family protection.
Background:
Anwar Masih a tailor Master along with his wife Kauser Parveen and four children named Imran Anwar aged 32, Kamran Anwar aged 30, Ambreen Anwar aged 28 and Samreen Anwar aged 26 lived at Fatima Jinah Medical Hostel Quarters. His wife Kauser Parveen worked in Ganga Ram Hospital as a government servant, taking the advantage she requested doctors for the permanent government job of her younger son Kamran Anwar in the same hospital. While
Imran worked as a computer operator in daily Newspaper Jhang and daily Ussaf Lahore. Ambreen Anwar is simply marred and happy with her family. Whereas Samreen Anwar the youngest one was school going and wanted to get high education. Parents were also happy for their daughter that she was very ambitious. After matriculation she wanted to get an admission in college for higher studies. She was a student of final year of Commerce (B.Com part 11) when a Muslim young boy Naqash Maqsood aged 30, met her on the way to her college.
Naqash worked in a Mobile phone shop as a sales man while Samreen Anwar started a beauty salon for good earning beside her studies. Her friendship developed with Naqash and she was in relation with him for four years. When she was expecting for two months she asked Naqash for marriage, but he was not willing to marry her because of the difference of religions. He suggested her if she wanted to get him married, she must embrace Islam otherwise his parents will never accept this wedding. Samreen had no choice after pregnancy and got married under Islamic rites and only shared to her mother Kauser Parveen about her Islamic marriage and conversion.
Kauser Parveen secretly helped her daughter because the marriages of own choice are not acceptable in Pakistani society and it is also illegal to be pregnant before marriage. Kauser Parveen herself created disputes with her husband and sons pretended that she cannot survive among this family. She took a rented house and shifted along with her pregnant daughter separately in another locality in Lahore and did not allow any of the family members to visit them at their house.
After wedding Samreen Anwar noticed that Naqash was a greedy man, having eyes on her mother’s gratuity funds after her government service completed within next 6 months.
Samreen reported to Katherine Sapna Director, Christians’ True Spirit – CTS that Naqash Maqsood and his Muslim family insisted Kauser Bibi to embrace Islam otherwise she cannot live along with Shamreen Anwar w/o Naqash Maqsood (New Muslim) they wanted to grab all money she belongs. Kauser Perveen was attached to Samreen Anwar as she is a younger child of her and was emotionally blackmailed by the Muslim family of Naqash. On the other hand the attitude of Muslim family was not good to Samreen as she was from a Christian background. She further said that Naqash changed his behavior to her therefore she installed a permanent call recorder in her cell phone to record her conversations with Naqash’s mother, other family members and also the conversations between Naqash and herself.
Samreen was in a doubt that Naqash only wanted to grab money and will leave her helpless. For this behavior she warned him to file a court case and bring him to justice if he deceived her after the baby born. Naqash was alert and he was trying to figure how he can get rid of Samreen Anwar and her mother. He started sharing things to his friend who is an advocate and asked him to find a way of their separation.
In the month of May 2020, Anwar Masih started contact with daughter Samreen and requested for a meeting to come back to home with her mother. During a telephone call on May 16, 2020 Samreen told her father that she cannot return home because she is pregnant and got married to a Muslim man. She also informed Anwar Masih that only she can live among Muslims not Christians. Father was concerned and become angry when he heard about her conversion and pregnancy, he become aggressive to her, meanwhile the all conversation got recorded automatically in Samreen’s cell phone, she did not notice and forgot call recorder.
Samreen was disturbed because of Naqash’s behavior, she wept and said to him that she has destroyed her life for his love, left her father and siblings even that her religion. She told him about her father’s call and his aggression for her Islamic marriage. Naqash become alert as he knew about call recorder in Samreen’s cell phone. He quietly checked cell phone and listen all recorded conversation between Samreen and her father. He transferred this recorded data to his own cell phone peacefully and secretly.
Anwar Masih tried a number of times for reconciliation with her wife Kausar Parveen but Naqash was not willing for their reunion. He forced Samreen to ask her father for conversion otherwise he cannot come to see her and her child (by doctors her child delivery was expected in June 1st week).
On June 2, 2020 Naqash and Samreen had a dispute and she went to the police station along with her mother Kauser Parveen for filling a complaint. Before she complained Naqash informed police to check Samreen’s cell phone for recordings. He informed police about blasphemous remarks of her father for Islam and the Prophet Mohammad. Samreen got confused and she immediately deleted all audio recordings from her cell phone. Meanwhile Naqash provided recorded voice of Anwar Masih from her own cell as evidence. Police did call Anwar Masih to the police station on the same day June 02, 2020 and get him arrested for blasphemy accusations.
Legal assistance:
Mr. Nadeem Hassan and Mr. Qaisar John Advocate High Court, pursuing the case as attorney and defense lawyer of Anwar Masih on behalf of the Christians’ True Spirit – CTS and have completed all legal documents including a Power of Attorney signed by Anwar Masih to assist him in the courts.
Family Details seeking protection at Panah (CTS Shelter)
- Imran Anwar Masih age 34
- Lubna Emmanuel w/o Imran Anwar Masih age 34
- Emaan d/o Imran Anwar Masih age 3 months
- Kamran Anwar s/o Anwar Masih aged 32
- Merry w/o Kamran Anwar aged 30
- Noor Kamran aged 10
- Jannat Kamran aged 8
- Adan Kamran aged 6
- Asad Kamran aged 4
- Kausar Parveen w/o Anwar Masih age 58
- Samreen Anwar w/o Anwar Masih aged 28
Anwar Masih’s family under life threat
After the FIR has been registered under blasphemy accusations Anwar Masih and his family is in life danger. They are feeling insecure by Naqash and his family, he spreading news of committing blasphemy by Anwar Masih and that he is liable to death. A few local Muslims wanted to burn the house of Anwar Masih and the same evening on June 02, 2020 CTS team immediately relocated the family to a safe place. After the arrest of Anwar Masih (father) Samreen and her mother Kausar Parveen also cannot trust Naqash and living hide in the protection of CTS.
Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law carries an automatic death penalty for anyone accused of insulting Islam, or Prophet Mohammad. In the past we see many incidents of extra judicial killings and when the extremists give fire to the innocent Christian’s houses and burn the people alive in aggression as an punishment to Christians for blasphemy. Christians’ True Spirit – CTS has taken the responsibility to deal with this sensitive case. CTS have relocated the family with their minor kids to the safe places.
Prayer request:
CTS request prayers for the wisdom and courage to deal with this sensitive case and for the safety and protection of Anwar Masih and family.
In Solidarity,
Christians’ True Spirit – CTS