A young Christian under sentence of death for blasphemy has worked hard to achieve high exam grades in prison. Christian Daily International-Morning Star News reports that Nouman Masih (24) from Bahawalpur in Punjab province is focusing on prayer, Bible reading and academic excellence.
Nouman was arrested in July 2019 and was sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws in May 2023, although his lawyer Lazar Allah Rakha said prosecutors failed to provide any evidence against him. He had been charged with sharing blasphemous content in WhatsApp messages. An appeal is pending with the Lahore High Court.
Nouman recently passed his high school board exams with a very high score, which his lawyer said demonstrates his faith in God for a future of freedom. Nouman prepared for the exams in his cell in the high-security New Central Prison Bahawalpur.
“I’m very happy that instead of descending into depression after being put on death row, Masih put his faith in the Lord and has kept his hope for freedom alive despite the dismal circumstances,” Lazar Allah Rakha told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “His feat in the examination is testament to his unwavering faith in Christ and of his determination to start life afresh when the Lord acquits him from the false conviction.
“The prison environment is far from conducive to academic pursuits. Yet, this young man’s dedication to his studies has been nothing less than remarkable. With limited resources and access to educational materials, he managed to prepare for his exams, demonstrating a thirst for knowledge that transcends the prison walls.”
Nouman had submitted an application with jail authorities to arrange for his registration with the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Bahawalpur and his lawyer says he can now register for an intermediate exam, to be taken in two years.
The lawyer said that well-educated convicts taught Nouman and other prisoners in return for facilities or remission of their prison terms. “This system has helped several prisoners to reform themselves through education,” he said. “We hope that the Lahore High Court will fix Masih’s appeal for hearing at the earliest so that he can prepare for the next exam as a free man.”
Nouman’s family is very poor and belongs to the Anglican Church of Pakistan. His father Asghar Masih (pictured with his wife) works as a cleaner and said the family is immensely proud of him. “We cannot thank God enough for gracing our son with this achievement,” he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “He has remained steadfast in his faith, he has been reading the Bible and praying regularly since the day he was sent to prison. Other than that, he has focused only on his studies.”
He expressed gratitude for Church of Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall’s support of the family in meeting Nouman’s educational and other needs in prison, and added: “We are also grateful to our lawyer, Lazar Allah Rakha, for defending our son to the best of his abilities. He has remained a pillar of strength for our family, and he’s the one who motivated our son to pursue education. This success in the examination has renewed our hope for his freedom. My son has shown that he is determined to begin a new life, and we believe that our Lord has heard our pleas.”
Bishop Azad Marshall said Nouman’s academic achievement has become a symbol of resilience, highlighting the need for reform of the blasphemy laws. “In a nation grappling with complex issues of faith, freedom, and justice, this young man’s story stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit,” he said. “Against all odds, he has become a beacon of hope, challenging the very system that seeks to silence him.”
Arrest and sentence
Police arrested Nouman and his cousin Sunny Waqas after officers citing “secret information” filed cases against them under Section 295-C of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which deals with defamation of the prophet Mohammed and carries a mandatory death sentence.
Sunny was arrested first, on 29 June 2019, with the complainant in his case, an officer in Bahawalnagar (175 km from Bahawalpur), claiming he had received “secret information” that Sunny had printed blasphemous caricatures of Mohammed and was carrying them in a black bag to show other people. According to the First Incident Report (FIR), when police questioned Sunny he told them that his cousin Nouman had shared the images with him on WhatsApp.
Nouman was arrested on 1 July 2019, according to police, although his family said he was arrested in a late-night raid only hours after his cousin. The complainant in his case, an officer in Bahawalpur, said in his FIR that he had received “secret information” that Nouman was sitting in a public park at 3.30 am with nine or ten people and was showing them blasphemous images on his phone. The FIR states that Nouman was arrested from the park but family and neighbours testified that he was arrested from his home. Asghar Masih told Morning Star News, “The allegations in both First Information Reports are baseless. Nouman was sleeping in the house when he was arrested, but the police have alleged that he was in a park showing blasphemous images to nine to ten people at 3.30 am.”
Sunny was granted bail on 17 January 2023 by the Lahore High Court Bahawalpur Bench because his trial had not concluded within the mandatory two-year period. He reportedly fled Pakistan and the court declared him a proclaimed offender.
On 30 May 2023 Nouman’s sentence was announced by the sessions court at the New Central Prison Bahawalpur. Lawyer Lazar Allah Rakha told Morning Star News, “I’m extremely disappointed by the conviction, because there was absolutely no case. There was no proof against Nouman, and none of the witnesses produced by police could corroborate the blasphemy allegation against him. I’m at a loss to understand why Bahawalpur Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Hafeez Ur Rehman sentenced Nouman instead of acquitting him.”
On 20 February 2024 Nouman was acquitted in another blasphemy case concerning the same incident by a judge in Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district (not Nouman’s home district of Bahawalpur, where he was arrested) on grounds of double jeopardy. His lawyer said police in the two districts had acted with mala fide intent to punish him in two blasphemy cases registered within three days.
(Christian Daily International-Morning Star News)
Photos: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News