Asif Stephen an accused of Blasphemy aged about 18 years now, is mentally retarded, he was held accused of blasphemy in 2017, and since then he was confined in Gujranwala Jail. The Voice is providing him free legal Aid. The Voice’s lawyers faced many threats and problems during his court hearings in Wazirabad.
In March 2019, The Voice lawyers filed an application, in the High Court on Medical Grounds that he is unable to face his trial and his mental condition is hereditary and he cannot understand the proceedings of his trial. The Court ordered his Re- Medical examination and after about 9 months of long proceedings and multiple times arguments the High Court Finally passed an order for his acquittal on Medical grounds, with a condition that whenever he will recover from his mental illness, if he is healed, than his trial will proceed. However Asif is acquitted but his family and The Voice’s legal team are still struggling to arrange his security bond which is 10, 00,000.00 PKR i.e. about 5900 Euros. As it is security and not surety bonds therefore it will go with moveable property or money itself. Once the security is submitted, than we will be able to bring Asif home. He is still in Gujaranwala jail.
P.S: His order sheet is attached along with.
Case Report 2017
Asif Stephen 16 years old boy held accused of Blasphemy charges under sections 295-B PPC on 12th August 2017. Maulana Qari Rana Mohammad Arshad of the Village jhamkay Tehsil Wazeer Abad, District Gujranwala is the Complainant in this case. Mohammad Nawaz alias Majhu Caste Machi is eye witness of this case.
On 16th August TVS came to know about blasphemy case which was held registered Village Jhamkay Tehsil Wazeer Abad, District Gujranwala. A fact finding team was comprised of Chief Executive Aneeqa Maria, Shahid Anthony, Napoleon Qayyum and Asif Yaqoob.
Asif is having 4 siblings named Mujahid, Kajul and Irum Stephen. Among them Kajol is married and the rest are unmarried. His father Stephen Masih is a Serf at the Muslim Landlords. Asif collects papers and used bottles from garbage and sell them to support his family. Asif also collects empty bottles from the Sundhay Shah Tomb. Which is about 2Kms away from his house. Whereas Muhammad Nawaz Alias Maju also collects garbage and bottles from the Tomb. Therefore he always have grudge against Asif for collecting used bottles and giving him economic loss, as he claimed that this is my area of collection.
The conspiracy started about 24 days ago that is on 18th or 19th July when somebody burnt Holy Quran on the Tomb, but nobody took the notice and only M. Nawaz was talking about it and tried to attract the people upon the issue.
On 12th August Asif went to bazaar to buy cigarettes Mohammad Nawaz caught him there and started beating him and started shouting that Asif broke the money box from the tomb. As Mohammad Nawaz beating and shouting at Asif a mob gathered there and some of them also started beating Asif. Mohammad Nawaz made a call to Qari Rana Rashid Razvi (a fundamentalist and a Former representative of the District Counsil) and told him that he has caught the person who burnt Holy Quran. Qari Rana Rashid Razvi arrived at the spot and without confirming or asking anything he also started beating Asif upon burning Holy Quran. So the issue of breaking the money box was turned into the desecration of Holy Quran. Someone from the community made a phone call at police emergency number 15 police reached there and arrested Asif and took him to the Jhamkay police chokey (Chokey is the branch of main police station in a specific area. It’s a kind of Sub-Police station)
Within an hour Qari Rana Rashid Razvi along with a mob reached Jhamkay police chokey he broke the lock and took Asif from the police custody and started torturing Asif. They wanted to kill him after burning, but the Local police made a phone call to Ali Purr Chatta police Station and asked them for help. Police from Ali Purr Police Station came for help at Jhamkay Chatta Police Chokey and they took Asif to the Ali Purr Chatta police Station. Qari Rana Rashid Razvi along with a mob went to Ali Purr Chatta police Station as a Complainant and Mohammad Nawaz as eyewitness. Ali Purr Chatta police registered a FIR against Asif and send him to the District Jail Gujranwala.
