Stories
Journalist Challenges Pakistan on Religious Freedom at UNHRC, Citing Blasphemy Case
- •Yemeni-Swedish journalist Luai Ahmed Tarbosh Saeed questioned Pakistan's religious freedom record at the UNHRC's 63rd Session.
- •Ahmed highlighted the case of Shagufta Kiran, a Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan for alleged blasphemy via WhatsApp.
- •Kiran was convicted under Article 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code; her defense claims she forwarded, not authored, the content.
- •Ahmed also criticized other Muslim-majority governments, linking regional issues to "Islamist dictatorships" rather than Israel.
- •He called for greater scrutiny of religious freedom, political rights, and minority treatment by governments.
Key Questions Answered
During the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Yemeni-Swedish journalist Luai Ahmed questioned Pakistan's record on religious freedom. He specifically highlighted the case of Shagufta Kiran, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death in 2024 for allegedly sharing a WhatsApp message.
Shagufta Kiran was convicted under Article 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code and sentenced to death by an Islamabad court in September 2024. Her conviction followed allegations that she shared blasphemous content regarding the age issue in Islamic marriage through WhatsApp, though her defense maintained she only forwarded the material.
Dr Paul Jacob Bhatti, head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, called for an independent parliamentary commission to investigate forced religious conversions and child marriages involving minority girls. His demands followed widespread protests over a controversial Federal Constitutional Court verdict that recognized a 13-year-old girl's marriage and conversion to Islam.
