New Delhi, Nov 2 (NationPress) A 49-year-old visually impaired Christian man in Lahore has been apprehended and charged under Pakistan’s most stringent blasphemy law after a Muslim coworker accused him of disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad. His family contends that this allegation is fabricated and stems from ongoing harassment and attempts at extortion.

Nadeem Masih, who has faced blindness since childhood and relies on an iron rod for mobility, made a modest living by weighing goods for vendors at Model Town Park, as reported by Christian Daily International–Morning Star News.

As per his mother, 80-year-old Martha Yousaf, Masih had been a target of harassment from certain Muslim colleagues at the park, including parking contractor Waqas Mazhar, who allegedly ridiculed him, stole from him, and failed to repay borrowed money.

“Occasionally, kind-hearted visitors would offer him additional support due to his disability, but they would snatch it from his pocket,” she lamented. “They tormented him and then made false accusations.”

On August 21, Masih was reportedly barred from working and subsequently taken to Model Town Police Station, where officers charged him under Section 295-C of the Penal Code—an offense that can lead to the death penalty. Yousaf claimed that police officers assaulted her son and coerced him into making a “confession.”

Masih’s attorney, Javed Sahotra, noted that the case “is rife with evident contradictions.” The police allegedly received information regarding the supposed blasphemy at 11 p.m., despite the park closing at 9 p.m. Furthermore, Masih had called a police helpline at 6 a.m. that same day seeking protection from extortion attempts.

“Should the trial court deny bail, we will appeal to the Lahore High Court,” Sahotra stated, labeling the treatment of the blind man as “inhumane.”

The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) condemned the arrest, emphasizing that Masih has suffered from poverty, disability, and discrimination, only to now confront “injustice and human indifference.”

Rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have consistently warned that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are misused to resolve personal vendettas, target minorities, and seize property.

Christian Daily International-Morning Star News, which initially reported the incident, highlighted that police often fail to safeguard the accused or penalize the assailants.

“This is a victim of cruelty and a flawed system,” the NCJP further emphasized, as Christian Daily International-Morning Star News reiterated the increasing misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.