A Christian couple were sentenced to death in Pakistan in early April reportedly for committing blasphemy via text messages. Lawyers said they will appeal the ruling and fight for the man and woman who are said to be illiterate.
‘We are seriously concerned. Cases like these are common and cause great suffering. We continue to pray, while the issue remains unresolved’, said Aloysius Roy, Superior of the Pakistani province. ‘We express our solidarity, but Christians keep a low profile, because life is full of difficulties and dangers, and for us the first commandment is to survive. Christians are afraid and they move with extreme caution.’
The couple, Shafqat Emmanuel, who is disabled, and his wife, Shagufta Kausar, who works as a waitress, were arrested in Gojra in July 2013, and later sentenced to death by a court in Toba Tek Singh. It was not revealed what the contents of the text messages were.
Roy continued: ‘From the government we expect respect for the law, the rule of law and freedom of worship provided for in the Constitution.’
The children
Lawyers who are appealing the ruling have said that the SIM card from where the messages were sent was not registered to the Christian couple's names, and have argued that since both are illiterate, they could not have sent the messages. Humanitarian group World Vision in Progress, along with its international partners, has said that it will look after the couple’s four children.
