On January 25, 2025, a sessions court in Kasur, Punjab, acquitted twin Christian brothers in a false blasphemy case, citing a lack of evidence and serious investigative flaws. Additional Sessions Judge Farzana Shahzad ruled in favour of Sahil Shahid (Kalu) and Raheel Shahid (Tabish) after their defence successfully demonstrated that the charges were fabricated and that the police investigation was deeply flawed.
According to Advocate Javed Sahotra, the
prosecution failed to provide substantial evidence, and the case was marred by
investigative misconduct. He highlighted key issues, including the role of Investigating
Officer (IO) Muhammad Saleem, who failed to conduct a proper inquiry before
arresting the two teenagers. “I.O. Muhammad Saleem claimed to have recovered a cell
phone and a pair of scissors from the boys, allegedly used for cutting the
papers in question. The twins were sent to jail on August 30, 2024, without any
proper investigation," Sahotra told Pak Christian News (PCN).
Sahotra further argued that Saleem
was not qualified to handle a blasphemy investigation, as he lacked the mandatory
Islamic education certification required by the court for such cases. “Blasphemy
cases require an IO to be a gazetted officer with Islamic education expertise,
or they must consult an Islamic scholar during the investigation,” he added.
The defence presented 10 previous court rulings demonstrating that the investigation
was weak, and the accused were minors who lacked the mental capacity to
understand the implications of their actions. Judge Farzana Shahzad commended
the defence arguments and ordered the immediate release of the brothers.
Additionally, the judge directed the Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) to
launch an inquiry against IO Muhammad Saleem, questioning why he jailed the
minors without a proper investigation.
After the verdict, Sahotra and his
legal team went to Kasur Jail at 9 PM to secure the boys' release and safely
reunite them with their family. "The twins are now back home and safe with
their loved ones," he confirmed.
The case against Tabish and Kalu
stemmed from an incident reported on August 26, 2024. A local Muslim resident, Ghulam
Mustafa Dogar, filed a complaint alleging that the twins, along with two
unidentified Christian men, were seen throwing torn fake currency notes on a
road in the village of Killaywala. Mustafa further claimed that some of these
torn notes contained Quranic verses. According to FIR No. 731/24, registered on
August 27, 2024, at Thay Shaikham Police Station in District Kasur, under Section
295B of the Pakistan Penal Code, the act had "hurt the religious
sentiments of Muslims." The villagers later gathered the torn pieces in
the presence of local elders and found verses of the Quran allegedly written on
them. This led to a demand for strict action against the accused.
Residents of the area testified that
the brothers were illiterate and came from a very poor family. They explained
that Tabish and Kalu had visited a shrine to witness the Urs festivities and
make TikTok videos. During the celebration, they saw people joyfully throwing
money into the air and attempted to imitate them, unaware that they had
mistakenly torn pages from a Quranic booklet that was placed nearby. Due to their
illiteracy and ignorance, they failed to recognize the religious significance
of the pages. Following the blasphemy allegations, police detained the boys'
mother and maternal uncle, prompting the family to surrender the twins in an
effort to secure their relatives' release. The twins' father, Shahid Masih,
worked at a brick kiln before taking up work as a mason, while the brothers had
just started working at a local factory days before the incident, sources
confirmed.
The acquittal of Tabish and Kalu is another
reminder of the growing misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, particularly
against marginalized Christian communities. Human rights organizations and
legal experts have repeatedly warned that false blasphemy accusations—often fuelled
by personal vendettas, misunderstandings, or religious intolerance—continue to
destroy innocent lives. The legal team and activists have urged authorities to
ensure stricter regulations and safeguards in blasphemy cases to prevent future
injustices and unwarranted arrests of innocent individuals.