ASIA/PAKISTAN - The case of the young Christian tortured and killed by the police goes unpunished

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The case of the young Christian Zubair Masih, tortured and killed by the Pakistani police on 7 March will go unpunished. The young boy, completely innocent, was arrested by the police just because the son of a woman, Ayesha Bibi, accused of stealing from the apartment of a wealthy Muslim, where she worked as a maid. The woman protested her innocence. The police detained and tortured the young man, then dumped his body in front of the woman’s house (see Fides 14/03/2015).
Only after demonstrations, the police opened an internal investigation. On March 19, the police officers charged of the murder were acquitted, reported to Agenzia Fides Christian lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill, in charge of monitoring the case. Due to pressures on behalf of local politicians and other Muslims, the woman signed a declaration in favor of two the policemen, clearing their name of all charges. "There will be no justice for the boy who was murdered", said the lawyer. "Another case of clear discrimination against religious minorities. It is not uncommon", he concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/03/2015)