Photo via islamic-architecture.info

Pakistani Christian blasphemy-accused is suffering from heart disease

Mushtaq Masih, a Christian man who was arrested under Pakistan blasphemy laws in March of this year, is suffering from heart disease, ANS has learned.

Mushtaq and his friend Wallayat Masih were accused of blasphemy when they lay sheets inscribed with Quranic verses on grave of a Christian man.

According to the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan (SLMP), Martha, wife of Mushtaq Masih, the blasphemy accused man, visited him in jail on July 2, 2009.

Martha told the SLMP: “My husband is suffering from heart ache. He is not having proper food and medication. Muslim prisoners are also treating him in an insulting way.

“He and his fellow prisoner Wallayat are facing miserable sufferings in the jail. The prison management is also very unkind to them. Both of them are being treated in the jail like dogs.”

Martha further told the ministry: “Mushtaq is much concerned about his health because he has heart disease. He is becoming weaker day by day.

“His eyes were looking so tired. I tried to encourage him but his pain is very severe.”

She went on to tell the ministry that her husband and Wallayat were once tortured by the police and were forced to wash toilets.

It was the first time Martha could visit her husband because of her poor socio-economic situation.

She told the SLMP that Mushtaq needs medical treatment and proper medicine for his heart disease.

A SLMP news release said the ministry’s team tried to visit Mushtaq and Wallayat in the month of April, but the prison authorities did not allow them for what they said were “security measures.”

The news release alleged that the management of district jail in Kasur “is not cooperating with the SLMP staff.” It went on to say that Muslim prisoners are “very harsh with their fellow Christian inmates.”

It cited incidents of torture in the past with Christian prisoners including Mobeen Masih and Dil Awaiz.

Mr. Sohail Johnson, the Chief Coordinator of Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan has condemned prison staff’s “discriminatory behavior” with Christian prisoners.

Johnson has since had a meeting with high-ups to seek authorization for SLMP pastors so that they could minister to Christian prisoners in the Kasur district jail.

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TAGS: Pakistan Mushtaq Masih blasphemy laws heart disease Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan persecution

[07/08/2009]

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