by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – As Christians in Punjab Province, Pakistan, continue to face intense violent persecution from Islamic extremists, a Christian father of three was arrested on November 3 and jailed pending trial for blasphemy, Morning Star News reports.
Zafar Iqbal Ward of No. 12 of Kahna in Lahore, Punjab Province, was arrested after three local Muslims accused him of setting fire to pages of the Quran near his house. Iqbal is the most recent in an extending line of Christians who have been arrested for allegedly defacing Quranic pages.
Iqbal has been charged under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy law, which carries a life sentence for defacing the Quran.
Pakistani rights activist Napolean Qayyum told MSN: “Iqbal is now in prison on judicial remand, while his family has gone into hiding and are inaccessible.”
In a website statement about the situation facing Pakistani Christians, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization reports: “Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws are often used to target minority groups, but Christians are disproportionately affected. Indeed, roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians, who only make up 1.8% of the population.”
Ruled by an Islamic government that promotes harsh blasphemy laws, Pakistan ranks seventh on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Russian Shahed drones struck a kindergarten in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast despite a Kyiv-declared ceasefire, killing at least one person, witnesses and officials said Thursday.
Some 24 Eritrean Christians have been released from prison after lengthy periods behind bars in the authoritarian-ruled African nation, advocates confirmed Friday.
Hungary prepared Thursday for what supporters called the “end of the Orbán regime,” with thousands expected to gather in Budapest to celebrate ahead of the swearing-in of incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
An explosion rocked the headquarters of the Dutch ruling center-left party Democrats 66 (D66) in The Hague late Thursday amid mounting tensions over the government’s controversial asylum seekers policies, but there were no injuries, authorities said.
Lenny Kuhr, the Dutch Jewish singer-songwriter who was among the winners of the world’s largest televised song contest and influenced generations with heartfelt chansons, is leaving her native Netherlands, citing rising antisemitism.
China has freed the last two church leaders detained for nearly four years following a controversial police raid on a Christian gathering, amid ongoing concerns over religious persecution.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Jewish Americans — and citizens of all backgrounds — to observe a national Shabbat from sundown on May 15 through nightfall on May 16 as part of Jewish American Heritage Month and the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.