by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – A Christian man who was released last week after 13 years in a Pakistani prison on false charges of blasphemy against Islam has died, his supporters told Worthy News Monday.
Zafar Bhatti had been “honourably acquitted” by the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court, which overturned a wrongful conviction in a blasphemy case on October 2, sources confirmed.
However, by that time, the impact of “extreme hardship behind bars” had left its marks, Christians said. Bhatti passed away Sunday at the age of 62, Worthy News learned.
“He departed this world and met his Creator. His life stands as a powerful reminder that while truth can be suppressed, it can never be destroyed,” said Sardar Mushtaq Gill, a Christian human rights lawyer who closely followed the case.
“Despite being subjected to torture and repeated efforts to force a false confession, he held firmly to the truth and his faith until the very end,” added Gill, the founder of advocacy group LEAD Ministries Pakistan.
His death, Gill said, “serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating human toll of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws — and the long shadow of injustice they cast on many wrongfully accused, especially among religious minorities.”
DECADE OF TORMENT
Bhatti was arrested more than a decade ago on allegations of sending blasphemous text messages — accusations later found to lack any credible evidence, investigators said.
“Despite this, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and later handed the death penalty. Throughout his long and unjust incarceration, he endured physical torture, psychological torment, and relentless pressure to confess to a crime he never committed. Yet, he remained steadfast in his innocence and unwavering in his Christian faith,” Gill told Worthy News.
While the court acquitted him last Thursday, “justice, though delivered on paper, arrived far too late. Just days after his release, he passed away — legally free, but physically broken and emotionally exhausted from years of persecution,” added Gill.
LEAD Ministries Pakistan actively worked to highlight his case and what it calls “the systemic misuse of these laws in Pakistan” through legal aid, awareness campaigns, and advocacy.
Gill said that Bhatti “is yet another victim of Pakistan’s cruel misuse of blasphemy laws. Though justice was finally served in the courtroom, it came at the cost of a man’s entire life. His death, just days after release, is a haunting reminder that in Pakistan, for many, acquittal is not the end — it’s only a different kind of pain. May his soul rest in peace, and may his case stir the conscience of this nation.”
Pastor Imran Amanat, leader of LEAD Ministries, added: “We have lost yet another Christian life due to the misuse of blasphemy laws. Justice was delayed for so long that it was ultimately denied — this man reached the courtroom door only to take his final breath. This should never happen to anyone again.”
LEGACY OF FAITH
Yet “despite enduring the worst of the justice system, he never gave in to despair. His story is one of quiet resistance — a testament to the strength of faith in the face of relentless oppression. He leaves behind a legacy that now speaks louder than any accusation ever could,” Gill stressed.
His case is not unique. Dozens more remain in prison under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, many facing prolonged detention without trial, Worthy News documented.
Human rights advocates, including LEAD Ministries, say that without urgent reform, “more lives will be lost, and justice will remain out of reach for too many.”
“Let us not forget his name,” said LEAD Ministries in a statement about Zafar Bhatti. “Let his story fuel our collective fight for justice, legal reform, and the protection of all persecuted communities. This Christian man is gone — but the call for change echoes louder than ever.”
Christian advocacy group Open Doors ranks Pakistan as number 7 on its 2025 World Watch List of 50 nations where it says Christians face the most severe persecution.
The Islamic nation is home to roughly 4 million Christians, making up less than two percent of Pakistan’s more than 240 million people, according to Christian researchers and other sources.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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