A Pakistani court acquitted a Christian man of “blasphemy” charges, after a legal battle lasting more than two years.
The Additional Sessions Court in Lahore, Punjab, acquitted 37-year-old rickshaw driver Danis Albert on 6 July and ordered his immediate release.
The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence that the alleged offence constituted a deliberate or malicious act.
Caption: Shadman Chowk roundabout, Lahore [Image credit: Rajamouli SS/X]
Danis had been detained since April 2024 after being accused under Sections 295-A and 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.
These sections concern acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or beliefs, and desecration or defilement of the Quran.
Section 295-B – Quran desecration – stipulates mandatory life imprisonment.
Prosecution failed to prove crime
On 27 April 2024, the complainant Mobeen Ilyas alleged that he saw a man standing near a rickshaw at the Shadman Chowk roundabout in Lahore, with papers containing Quranic verses beneath his feet while other pages were scattered on the road.
Danis’s brother Imran Albert explained that Danis had stepped outside his rickshaw barefoot while waiting for a passenger.
“Because the road surface was burning hot, he stepped on some loose papers lying on the roadside without realising they had Quranic text written on them,” Imran stated.
A hostile crowd quickly assembled. Police were called and arrested Danis, as well as seizing his rickshaw.
Following the incident Danis’s family abandoned their home and fled the district for their safety.
The prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused willfully desecrated sacred texts or acted with malicious intent.
Danis remained in custody continuously from 27 April 2024 until his acquittal on 6 July 2026, spending 800 days in confinement.
This is the second “blasphemy” acquittal in just a few weeks, following a ruling in June by the same court that the accusations made against another Christian, Nadeem Masih, had been fabricated.
How you can pray
Give thanks for the acquittal of Danis and for the court’s just outcome in dismissing charges against him. Pray that he will be able to secure a viable livelihood after this long detention, and that his family will be kept safe from any mob reprisals. Pray that this case will act as a powerful deterrent against those considering submitting false “blasphemy” accusations against Christians and other minorities in Pakistan.
