World News | Chinese citizen faces blasphemy charges in Pakistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 21 (ANI): The recent detention of a Chinese national in Pakistan has sent shockwaves through the international community. Mr. Tian, ​​who was in charge of heavy machinery for the World Bank-funded China Gezhouba Group Corporation’s Dasu Hydropower Project in Kohistan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, was killed in a Chinese worker camp near Dasu on the evening of April 16. Police detained him, about 350 kilometers north of Islamabad, “to avoid a serious situation”.

The 4,300 MW Dasu Hydropower Project is outside the scope of CPEC, but Chinese citizens live and work in protected facilities in the area.

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Two heavy vehicle drivers were arrested on blasphemy charges after accusing Tian of making derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) at a construction site in Pakistan. According to SHO Naseeruddin, the accused was arrested after a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against him at the Comilla Police Station under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complaint was filed by Gulistan and Yasir, who allege the defendants made comments on April 16 that prompted rioters to attempt to break into a nearby Chinese camp.

The incident highlights the sensitivity of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, the potential for tension between different communities, and the importance of respecting local cultural and religious sensitivities when working abroad. The conflict began on April 15 when Tian tried to pressure his fellow motorists to work faster while praying collectively at the workplace.

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In their complaints to the police, the two drivers claimed that Tian “insulted Allah and the Prophet Muhammad” in a heated conversation while on duty during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. Tragically, as news of the desecration reached nearby villages in the Himalayas, hundreds of men gathered to block the Karakoram Highway, the only land route linking Pakistan and China. Led by a committee of about 100 local religious and tribal leaders, protesters briefly blocked the highway again on the morning of April 17 until police registered a case of desecration against Tian.

In addition, videos circulated on social media showed angry mobs could be heard chanting Allahu Akbar – “God is great” – as security forces fired into the air to disperse the crowd.

He was reportedly arrested for blasphemy and transferred from Upper Kohistan to Abbottabad by Pakistan Army helicopter on the afternoon of April 17 for security reasons, Komila station building official Naseeruddin said. Since a provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act was also included in the FIR, 9 police brought the suspect to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on the same day, after which he was sentenced to 14 days of judicial remand. The court asked Tian Mr. will appear at his next hearing via video link on May 2, 2023. As of now, the Chinese embassy has not commented on the matter.

Most pertinently, issues concerning the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan have also been dissected recently. In 2021, at least 12 people, including nine Chinese engineers, were killed in a bus attack near the Dasu Hydropower Station, where the current dispute is taking place. The incident threatened to spark retaliation from China, which briefly halted work on the Dasu hydropower project. In late January 2022, the project resumed. Also last year, three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide bombing in Karachi, Sindh province.

Interestingly, the origins of blasphemy laws date back to the British era, enacted in 1860. Initially, four blasphemy laws – Sections 295, 296, 297 and 298 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) – were introduced and enacted in 1927 following the killing of Mahashe Rajpal by Ilmuddin, a Muslim carpenter, for publishing the blasphemous book Rangila Rasool. Section 295 is supplemented by 295-A.

Blasphemy has become a dramatic issue for some time, often leading to mass hysteria in Pakistan and punishable by death. Suspects were often attacked by mobs and sometimes even lynched. National and international human rights groups say the charge of blasphemy is enough to spark a mob attack and kill the accused. Blasphemy laws have also been used to settle personal grievances and quarrels and threaten religious minorities in Pakistan.

Blasphemy is a non-bailable offense in Pakistan, with penalties ranging from fines to the death penalty. The single charge alone often leads to deadly mob attacks in the country, which is dominated by Sunni Islam. Earlier in December 2021, another foreigner working in Pakistan, Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan national, was brutally lynched by an angry mob for “blasphemy” in Sialkot, Punjab.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) condemned in a statement, calling the “cold-blooded murder” by the Sialkot mob “reprehensible and disgraceful”. “This extrajudicial vigilance cannot be condoned under any circumstances,” ISPR said.

The incident is critical as China expresses concern about the lack of security for its citizens in Pakistan, where Beijing has spent tens of billions of dollars in recent years and now has a large number of Chinese nationals stationed in the country to monitor and supervise. Construction of infrastructure projects.

However, so far (because the future course of this matter is uncertain), “Defendant” Tian is still alive because of Chinese investment in Pakistan in recent years, building roads, communication networks, ports and power plants around the world in Beijing. Belt and Road Initiative. The collaboration, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, has attracted thousands of Chinese workers and engineers to the massive project.

Tian’s detention and the blasphemy charges against him underscore the ongoing challenges facing foreign workers in Pakistan. The country’s blasphemy laws are complex and have serious consequences, with CRSS reports proving that 89 citizens have been killed in 1,415 blasphemy charges and cases since independence.

The safety and protection of Chinese employees in Pakistan has been a constant concern for Beijing, especially in light of recent attacks by separatist groups and Islamist militants targeting Chinese interests. As China and Pakistan continue to deepen their economic ties, it is critical that both countries work to resolve potential tensions and complexities in their relationship.

Tian’s detention is a stark reminder of the challenges of undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects in high-risk environments, and highlights the need for a better understanding and awareness of cultural and legal differences. Ultimately, the successful implementation of such projects requires not only economic and technical expertise, but also a deep understanding of the political, social and cultural dynamics of the local environment. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)