Pakistani court sentences Christian man to death for posting hateful content against Muslims
Associated PressMULTAN, Pakistan — A court in Pakistan sentenced a Christian man to death for sharing what it said was hateful content against Muslims on social media after one of the worst mob attacks on Christians in the eastern Punjab province last year, his lawyer said Monday, adding he will appeal the verdict. In August 2023, groups of Muslim men burned dozens of homes and churches in the city of Jaranwala after some residents claimed they saw two Christian men tearing out pages from Islam’s holy book, the Quran, throwing them on the ground and writing insulting remarks on other pages, authorities said. He also said he would appeal against the death sentence issued Saturday by a court in the city of Sahiwal in Punjab province. Amir Farooq, a police officer who arrested Shan, said the man shared “the hateful content at a sensitive time when authorities were already struggling to contain the violence.” Naveed Kashif, a local priest at a church in Sahiwal, said while he didn’t excuse what Shan posted, he wondered “why the court ordered such an extreme verdict when those linked to the attacks are yet to be punished.” Blasphemy accusations are common in Pakistan.