FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani Christian girl and her father who were accused of defiling the Qur’an (Muslim holy book), in October of last year were acquitted on December 14, 2009 after serving thirteen months and fourteen days in prison.

Sanda and Gulsher

Sandal, 22 and her father, Gulsher Masih, 47, were accused of

committing sacrilege of the Qur’an on October 10, 2008. A criminal case was registered against the pair at Chak Jhumra Police Ptation.

Muhammad Farooq, the complainant in the case, in his written application accused Sandal of defiling Qur’an and throwing it in the street while Gulsher Masih was accused of abetting the act of “blasphemy”.

Angry Muslim mob pressured police to arrest Sandal and Gulsher immediately after blasphemy accusations were made against them.

Human rights activist, Sohail Johnson of the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan told ANS that his ministry team had been visiting Sandal and Gulsher in jail from the time of their arrest until their release.

“We encouraged them to stay firm in Christian faith”, said Johnson in an exclusive ANS interview.

Johnson regretted that Sandal and Gulsher served over a year in prison despite the fact that they had not committed blasphemy.

He maintained that the pair would never be able to purge themselves of the “blasphemy stigma” even though they have been acquitted by the court.

“They have received death threats,” said Johnson. “They have become refugees in their own country.”

“It’s not only the blasphemy-accused but their family members who also become prone to attacks by extremists,” he added.

Johnson called for a “proper, impartial and transparent investigation of blasphemy accusation/complaints before the filing of Police First Information Report.”

Sohail Johnson (left) and Sandal (right)

He alleged that nine out of ten blasphemy cases are filed after police succumbs to mob pressure.

He cited examples of several blasphemy-accused including Dr. Robin Sardar and Naseem bibi who he said were implicated in false blasphemy cases.

Mr. Johnson demanded immediate repeal of Pakistan blasphemy laws, saying that the laws must be repealed because they (blasphemy laws) are doing harm to the vulnerable segments of society.

“We demand repeal and not amendment in the laws,” he stressed.

Referring to the widespread abuse of the infamous laws he said the hardline Muslims are abusing the law to settle their personal scores against non-Muslims.

ANS has discovered that Sandal’s trial was pending in the Sessions court before additional and sessions Judge Muhammad Ghazanfar Ali Khan. The prosecution had recorded seven witnesses including the complainant of the case, Muhammad Farooq Alam and Muhammad Akram, the investigation officer from the local police.

According to the Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan all the witnesses tried to prove that Sandal and Gulsher guilty of the charge but contradictions in their statements raised doubts that they had fabricated a story to implicate daughter and her father in a “blasphemy” case.

The judge gave the benefit of doubt to Sandal and Gulsher as a result of which the pair were acquitted from the blasphemy charge.

ANS has learnt that Sandal, the principal accused of blasphemy, was first detained in Faisalabad District Jail but was later shifted to Jhang District Jail on January 26, 2009 on her request to the Sessions court.

Dan Wooding, 69, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 46 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is the author of some 43 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, also recently released “God’s Ambassadors in Japan” which is available at amazon.com.