Additional reports on the burial of Robert Danish aka Falish Masih, questions being asked about his death in prison while being arrested for “blasphemy,” and clashes ending protests against Pakistan blasphemy law.
— Pakistan Christian Post: “Robert Danish, a Pakistani Christian youth killed in Sialkot Central Jail was laid to rest in Christian Town graveyard under tear gas shelling and baton charge of police here today.”
— “The dead body was brought to CTI ground where administration have deployed contingents of security agencies from dawn of September 16, 2009.”
— “According to PCP sources, police had blocked all roads leading to CTI ground, which led to this century old Christian Technical Institute in Sialkot.”
— “Only relatives and dozens of Christians were allowed to gather for funeral of Robert Danish alias Falish Masih who was arrested on September 11, 2009, under blasphemy charges and mysteriously killed in jail on September 15, 2009.”
— “The father of Robert Danish and his family insisted to bury him in their native village Jhethe Key but administration not allowed and pressured Riasat Masih his father to bury him in Sialkot.”
— “The native village of Robert Danish is 20 kilometer from Sialkot city but due to anger among Christians in towns and villages of Sialkot district Punjab government not permitted procession of funeral to Jhethe Key.”
— “The Civil Lines Sialkot Police Station registered FIR against jail official on killing of Robert Danish on complaint of Riasat Masih and mourners sitting with dead body of Robert were shown copy of FIR to compel protestors to bury him who were demanding arrest of killers.”
— “Albert Masih, one protestor told PCP ‘We not trust on their FIR and arrests because government will get their bail from courts and Enquiry Committee formed by Inspector General Police Punjab will declare killers to be innocents after few weeks and they will be reinstated'”
— “The protestors were demanding repeal of blasphemy law and formation of Commission to investigate killing of Robert Masih.”
— “The police followed protestors in streets and used hundreds of tear gas shells to disperse them. The Muslim parliamentarians from Sialkot also attended funeral while Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister not bothered to travel to Sialkot. Kamran Michal, a Christian minister in Punjab government was present during last rituals of Pakistani Christian youth who was victim of controversial blasphemy law in Pakistan.”
— “The increasing incident of violence against Christian on accusation of blasphemy and recent killing of Robert Danish have created fear among 20 million Christians in Pakistan.”
— Pakistan Christian Post: “Robert Danish (alias or also known as Falish Masih) was mysteriously found dead in special security zone of Sialkot Central Jail at 8:30 AM to day.”
— “Robert Danish was arrested under section 295 B PPC on September 11, 2009, vide FIR number 1176/207/09 of Sambarial Police Station on complaint of Mohammad Asghar Ali resident of village Jhethey Key. He was produced before local magistrate and sent to judicial custody in Sialkot Central Jail where he was killed according to his family.”
— “‘Muslim jail officers are involved in his killing’ one of Robert Danish relative told PCP”
— “There is widespread anger among Christians in Pakistan after news of killing of Robert Danish in jail custody.”
— “According to PCP, Christians of Sialkot have announced to observe two days strike and mourning on killing of Christian youth.”
— “The incident was conspired by local Muslim clerics who hoisted banners with slogans ‘Kill the blasphemers’ on Wazirabad-Sialkot road in Sambarial after incident of Gojra where Muslim burnt alive Christians on August 1, 2009.”
— “On September 11, 2009, a village barber named Mohammad Asghar Ali accused Robert Danish to push her daughter Hina Ali who was coming home after Quran recitation.”
— Pakistan Rights Groups Seek Answers on Christian’s Death
— New York Times reports:
—- “A Christian man detained on blasphemy charges was found dead in his jail cell on Tuesday in eastern Pakistan. Human rights groups here said he appeared to have been killed, perhaps in collusion with the authorities.”
—- “The death of the Christian, Robert Fanish, 20, is part of a rising trend of violence against minorities in Pakistan, a panel of Pakistani human rights groups said in a news conference on Wednesday. It follows the burning deaths of six Christians in July, and mob attacks against Christian houses and a church in March and June.”
—- “‘This is a pattern,’ said Asma Jahangir, the chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a prominent watchdog group that is independent of the government.”
Pakistan: Christian’s death in jail sparks protests
— Pakistan Daily Times reports: “Minority and human rights activists staged protests in Lahore on Tuesday after word of Masih’s death got out, with some carrying posters calling it a murder.”
— Pak Christians Clash With Cops at Funeral of ‘Murdered’ Youth
— Christian Post reports:
— “Violence broke out in certain parts of Pakistan even as Christians buried Robert Masih, 21, who was mysteriously found dead at his jail cell a day earlier in Sialkot, in the eastern province of Punjab.”
— “Pakistani Christians clash with security officials Wednesday even as Christians attended the funeral of Robert Masih, accused of blasphemy was mysteriously found dead at his jail cell Tuesday in Sialkot, in the eastern province of Punjab.”
— “Robert, also known as Felish Masih, 21 was accused of desecrating Quran, the holy book of Islam. He was jailed Saturday on charge of blasphemy after a Muslim family accused him of throwing pages of Koran in the drain; but his local supporters said the family claimed that he had been admiring their daughter, according to Pakistan Christian Post.”
— “leaders of the Christian community alleged that Masih was ‘tortured to death’ by jail officials. They claimed the officials ‘staged a drama’ about Masih committing suicide.”
Additional Reports:
— September 15: Pakistan: young Christian man accused of blasphemy killed in prison
— Pakistan: Christian Church torched in Sialkot over ‘desecration'”
— Pakistan: Additional Report on Church Burning in Sialkot
— September 12, 2009 – Asia News reports: “According to preliminary reports, the real cause of tension is a relationship between a twenty year old Christian, whose name is Fanish, and a Muslim girl.”
— “‘Muslims can not tolerate a Muslim girl falling in love with a Christian,’ says father Mani, confirming the news of the young man’s arrest this morning by police officers”
— Pakistan Dawn: “The religious chauvinism that has become rampant in the country is nowhere in better evidence than in the case of Fanish Masih”
