Pastor Accused of Blasphemy Granted Bail in Pakistan

The ECLJ is glad to report that our affiliate, the Center for Law and Justice (CLJ) in Pakistan, has successfully secured Pastor Karma Patras’ bail in a blasphemy case after a Muslim complainant testified that he had wrongly accused the pastor. On February 21, Syed Zulqarnain Shah, the complainant, appeared in Sangla Hill Judicial Magisterial Court and testified that he had mistakenly accused Pastor Karma Patras of blasphemy against Islam and that he would have no objection if the pastor was released. The public prosecutor objected and argued that Pastor Patras could not be released even if Shah had retracted his statement because, Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, under which Pastor Patras was charged, was an offense against the State. The Magistrate, however, rejected the public prosecutor’s argument, stating that Shah was still the main witness in the case and that his statement was of pivotal importance. According to the CLJ in Pakistan, it is rare for a complainant to retract from his statement in a blasphemy case.

Fifty-five-year old Pastor Patras was languishing in prison since October 2012. The police arrested him on October 13 for allegedly speaking out against the Islamic ritual of sacrifice. On the day of his arrest, Pastor Patras was invited to address a funeral gathering in a nearby village in Sheikhupura. He addressed the gathering at the bereaved family’s house by sharing Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. During the service, the pastor was questioned if Christians could still offer animal sacrifice. He explained that Christ had given his sacrifice once and for all. He quoted Isaiah 66:1-4 and stated that God esteems “who is humble and contrite in spirit . . . . But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man.” After delivering the sermon, Pastor Patras went back to his home. A few hours later, the police arrived and arrested him. The pastor did not understand why he had been arrested. He was charged under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code that criminalizes speech that outrages religious feelings of others.

After Pastor Patras’ arrest, a mob of Muslim men surrounded the police station and demanded that he be handed over to them, but Pastor Patras had already been transferred to another location by that time. When the mob could not take hold of the pastor, the local Muslims told Pastor Patras’ sons to leave the village or they would be set on fire. The Christian community in the village, which consists of about twenty families, wept for the evicted families as they loaded their belongings onto tractor trolleys. Since leaving the village, these families are scattered in nearby villages. They cannot go back to their village even after the complainant has retracted his initial statement due to the threat the families face from religious extremists. Pastor Patras is also currently living in another city and is still separated from his family. Attorneys at the CLJ believe the case will soon be dismissed because there is no evidence against Pastor Patras that he blasphemed against Islam.