Islamabad High Court Judgment in Rimsha Case Historical for Pakistan

Now the Rimsha case is over and her lawyer is passionate to solve other cases as well.

(ISLAMABAD, Pakistan) - November 20th was the historical day for Pakistani Christians when Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed blasphemy charges against Rimsha, a Christian teenager girl whose case prompted international outrage.

Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, honorable Chief Justice (IHC) found that the accusations against Rimsha were legally unsound. Tahir Naveed Chaudhary, who led Rimsha’s lawyers penal, said Rimsha’s case is an exemplary one in Pakistani discriminatory laws. She is free to live in her home country but due to unavoidable reasons she is kept in undisclosed place, he claimed.

Tahir Naveed Chaudhary, a lawyer and a Member Punjab Assembly, told this reporter in Islamabad, that he took Rimsha case as challenge and by the grace of God and with the prayer of all Christians, we won the case, and everybody has seen the victory which made a history in blasphemy cases in Pakistan.

There were threats and apprehension and the assassination of our leader Shahbaz Bhatti, was for the same cause and I followed him and give credit to his efforts against the discriminatory laws in the country, he added.

Tahir Naveed Chaudhary keens in dealing discriminatory laws in the country and claimed that he is dealing Zafar Bhatti’s case, which was trap in blasphemy law. Zafar Bhatti was charged under section 295-C, in September 2012, in Rawalpindi Pakistan.

He further added that in Sanghla Hill, when Pastor Karama Patras, an Evangelist, famous for healing crusades, was arrested on accusation of blasphemy by police after taking him in preventive custody when Muslim mob attacked his house. He went there and took his 30 family members in his own custody and providing them safe living since then, he has been dealing the case as well, he proclaimed.

Tahir Naveed Chaudhry claimed that Rimsha is Pakistani girl and now her case is over and she is free to live in Pakistan. Although many Int’l organizations offered the teen and her family a home outside Pakistan but we believe and will ensure her safety in the country, he added.

He is very much hopeful and mentioned the case history of Salamat Masih and said many people have been killed following blasphemy accusations, including pre-trail prisoners murdered in their prison cells and even on court premises. One example is the case of from 1993 of Salamat Masih, Manzoor Masih and Rehmat Masih, accused of writing derogatory words about Mohammad on the wall of a mosque.

Manzoor Masih was shot dead by Islamic militants during the trial as the police escorted the prisoners out of the court premises.

The court convicted and sentenced to death the teenage Salamat and his father Rehmat, but this was overturned by higher court and they were released. They were forced to flee the country for their own safety. The judge who was on the High Court bench that acquittal Salamat and Rehmat was shot dead after his retirement for his role in the acquittal. He also mentioned the assignation of Shahbaz Bhatti and Governer Salman Taseer, but still he seems convinced and said that the situation is changed now. In Rimsha case many Mullhas have clearly shown their sympathy feelings and lawyer penal were very co-operative and everybody has played his role.

Now the Rimsha case is over and her lawyer is passionate to solve other cases as well. He requested the Church leaders, social workers and every Christian in and out of the country to pray for all the people who are facing blasphemy case in Pakistan.

This is mind set not every Pakistani is so rigid in its faith, but against the misuse of the law. Let us the new world, the world of peace and prosperity for Pakistani Christians.

About Shamim Masih

"I am Christian rights activist and freelancer Pakistani journalist specializing in writing about Christians rights for the different papers in the world. My aim is to create a peaceful environment in the society and to help eliminate Christian persecution through my writing as I bring the plight of these brave people under the spotlight of the whole world."

Shamim Masih was born in Sheikhopura's village and raised in Gujranwala, a city in Pakistan's Punjab province. He earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of the Punjab, Lahore majoring in English, Economics and Statistics; he also received a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

As a freelance writer and author, Shamim has written for different papers in the world; his expertise is in writing articles highlighting different social issues. He has served as freelance chief reporter and column writer in “Minority Times” in Islamabad, and a number of Shamim's articles have been published in local papers as well.