A court has acquitted a 62-year-old Catholic of baseless blasphemy charges after the complainant said he had “forgiven” him and wished to withdraw the case, the victim’s lawyer said.
Shoukat Javed had been charged with making derogatory remarks about figures revered in Islam under Section 298-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries a minimum sentence of three years in prison.
Javed’s attorney, Arooj Ayub, said Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmed filed a First Information Report (FIR) with police in Attock District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, on May 29, 2024, alleging that Javed had used abusive language against companions of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.
Javed was arrested shortly thereafter, and post-arrest bail was secured after two weeks. Ayub, who was engaged by the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), said the blasphemy allegation followed an earlier narcotics accusation by the same complainant.
“When his attempt to implicate Javed in a narcotics case failed, he subsequently brought a blasphemy allegation,” Ayub told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, adding that Javed also had been cleared in the earlier case.
Court proceedings in the blasphemy case were marked by repeated delays, with at least 13 adjournments between September 2024 and January due to the complainant failing to appear and the prosecutor failing to present sufficient evidence, Ayub said.
On March 6, she filed an application for acquittal under Section 249-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, citing lack of evidence. During the hearing, however, the complainant told the court he had “forgiven” Javed. The court subsequently disposed of the case and acquitted the accused, Ayub said.
Javed said the accusations stemmed from a personal dispute with his neighbor.
“I live alone in a Christian cemetery, where I work as a caretaker in addition to my job as a house painter,” he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “We had disagreements because he would throw garbage into the cemetery.”
Javed said the complainant first attempted to implicate him in the narcotics case and, after failing, filed the blasphemy complaint. He said he remained in the same residence following his release on bail and had not faced hostility from other Muslim neighbors.
“People in the area were aware of the situation and did not hold anything against me,” he added.
Sunil Kaleem, director of the Lahore-based Organization for Legal Aid, said the case illustrates concerns frequently raised by rights groups about the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.
“While this case ended in acquittal, it underscores how such laws can be used in personal disputes,” he said. “At the same time, it shows that due process and legal representation can result in justice.”
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have long been criticized by human rights organizations for their broad scope and vulnerability to abuse.
In a June 2025 report titled “A Conspiracy to Grab the Land: Exploiting Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws for Blackmail and Profit,” Human Rights Watch said such laws are often used to target religious minorities, settle personal grievances, and in some cases seize property.
The report noted that blasphemy accusations can provoke mob violence, displace vulnerable communities and create an environment of fear, particularly among minority groups.
Although courts have occasionally granted bail or acquitted defendants in cases where evidence is deemed insufficient, such outcomes remain relatively rare due to the highly sensitive nature of blasphemy allegations in Pakistan.
International advocacy groups continue to rank Pakistan among countries where religious minorities face significant challenges. In its 2026 World Watch List, Open Doors placed Pakistan eighth among the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
