Pakistan Court Acquits Two Christian Nurses in Landmark Blasphemy Case

Image: Jihad Watch

Two Christian nurses in Pakistan have been cleared of blasphemy charges, bringing a traumatic legal ordeal that lasted more than four years to an end. The case, which began in 2021, forced both women into hiding and placed their lives at constant risk due to threats of mob violence. A district court ultimately ruled that prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the allegations, leading to their acquittal.

The nurses, Mariam Lal and Newosh Arooj, had been charged under Section 295-B of Pakistan’s Penal Code, a provision that carries a mandatory life sentence for the desecration of Qur’anic text. Although the court delivered its verdict in November 2025, confirmation of their legal freedom came only this week, after the deadline for the state to challenge the ruling expired. The development was confirmed by Aid to the Church in Need, an international organization that supported the case.

The accusations stemmed from an incident in April 2021 at Civil Hospital in Faisalabad, Punjab Province, where both women were employed. A senior doctor alleged that the nurses had defaced a sticker bearing an Islamic inscription that had been affixed to a hospital cupboard. As the allegation spread, tensions escalated rapidly. An enraged crowd gathered, and the two women narrowly escaped an attempted lynching before being taken into custody by authorities. They remained imprisoned for five months before being released to await trial under strict security arrangements, as officials acknowledged serious threats to their safety.

Recognizing the ongoing danger, the court later allowed the nurses to avoid appearing in public during hearings. Throughout the prolonged proceedings, both women were unable to return to work and were forced to live under constant protection due to sustained intimidation and fear for their lives. Their legal defense was handled by the National Commission for Justice and Peace, a Catholic human rights body supported by Aid to the Church in Need.

Local human rights advocates have described the acquittal as highly unusual, noting that blasphemy cases in Pakistan are rarely resolved at the lower-court level. Due to intense social and religious pressure, such cases are often prolonged or deferred to higher courts, even when evidence is weak. Against this backdrop, the ruling has been seen as a rare but significant affirmation of due process in an environment where blasphemy accusations frequently carry life-altering consequences regardless of the outcome.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)