An 18-year-old Christian in Pakistan imprisoned for more than 17 months on blasphemy charges was expected to be released on bail next week, his lawyer said.
Akash Karamat had won bail on Dec. 19 for one of three blasphemy cases filed against him, and judges last week granted bail to him for the other two cases. The written order for release in the second case was issued on Tuesday (Feb. 18), with the other order expected next week, said his attorney, Asad Jamal.
Lahore High Court Justice Asjad Javed Ghural on Feb. 13 allowed bail for Karamat on statutory grounds in the case registered against him on Aug. 20, 2023 under Sections 295-A and 295-B of the blasphemy statutes against a surety bond of 100,000 rupees ($358 USD), Jamal said. In the other case, High Court Justice Shehram Sarwar granted bail on Wednesday (Feb. 19) for another case registered on Aug. 25, 2023 under Section 295-B.
Section 295-B pertains to desecration of Quran and is punishable with life imprisonment, while Section 295-A prescribes imprisonment of up to 10 years for hurting religious sentiments.
Lahore High Court Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan on Dec. 19 had granted bail to Karamat in the most serious case registered on July 16, 2023, under multiple sections of the blasphemy law, including Section 295-C, which carries a mandatory death penalty and life imprisonment. A trial court last July 20 declared that the Christian was a juvenile at the time of his arrest.
Karamat was initially arrested in a case registered by Satellite Town police in Sargodha District, Punjab Province, on July 16, 2023 and later implicated in two more cases of different police stations on the basis of mere suspicion, Jamal said.
Regarding the bail for the second case, Jamal said Justice Ghural noted that Karamat was not named in the crime report but was booked through a supplementary statement of the complainant.
"The judge also observed that the petitioner was a juvenile at the time of the alleged occurrence, but amazingly despite the elapse of more than one-and-half years of his incarceration, the challan [charge sheet] had not been submitted in court by the police," Jamal told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
He added that the judge further observed that Karamat could not be kept in prison for an indefinite period as a measure of advance punishment when early conclusion of trial is not in sight.
"The court noted that the accused was not responsible for the delay in the trial, therefore he was also entitled to statutory bail under Section 497 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)," Jamal said, adding that according to the section, if suspects have not been formally charged, the trial has not been concluded within two years and the delay is not due to the accused, they should be granted bail.
Jamal demanded bail for Karamat in the third case on similar grounds, he said.
"I also informed Justice Sarwar that the forensic report of the CCTV footage had failed to establish the facial identity of my client," he said. "The judge accepted my arguments and ordered Karamat's release on bail against a surety of 100,000 Pakistani Rupees [$358 USD]."
A detailed verdict will be issued by next week, he added.
Describing a hostile environment during the hearing in Justice Sarwar's court, Jamal said the complainant's legal team comprised an attorney group that takes up blasphemy prosecutions as an Islamic duty.
"These lawyers from the Khtam-e-Nabuwwat (Finality of Prophethood) Lawyers Forum tried their best to pressure the court by saying that the accused fled the country after getting bails, leaving the cases in limbo," he said.
Jamal said he would begin processing Karamat's release order as soon as the family arranges the surety bonds in all three cases.
"The family is very poor and is already forced to live in hiding due to the security risks in blasphemy cases," Jamal told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "They will need more protection when Karamat is released from prison and reunites with his family."
Akash Karamat's father, Karamat Masih, previously spoke about the difficulties his family has faced since police arrested his son on Aug. 27, 2023.
"I used to earn a livelihood for the family through my tailoring shop, but after Akash was arrested, we were forced to close it down and leave our home to save ourselves from violence," he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. "We've been surviving hand-to-mouth since then."
Akash Karamat was accused of writing blasphemous posters and desecrating the Quran in areas of Sargodha, allegedly in retaliation for the Aug. 16, 2023, Muslim mob attacks on multiple churches and homes of Christians in Jaranwala, Faisalabad District, after two Christian men were accused of committing blasphemy.
Pakistan ranked eighth on Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
