A Pakistani Christian Doctor arrested for sacrilegious accusations.

Written by: Jawad Mazhar (Special Correspondent for BosNewsLife in Pakistan)

Hafizabad, Pakistan, May 19th: Dr Sardar Robin 52, of Hafizabad, a Pakistani Homeopathic Christian
doctor is implicated and detained falsely under Pakistan’s Controversial black Blasphemy Laws in District
Jail Gujranwala, on the eve of May 4th, 2008, forcing Dr. Robin’s hapless family to go into hiding
established BosNewsLife. Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian legislator and head of ‘All Pakistan Minorities
Alliance ‘(APMA) demanded through and fair trial of the case.

A local Christian resident of Hafizabad, Harry Green told BosNewsLife that the misery of the Christian
Doctor began when he asked younger brother of a Muslim man Muhammad Bashir, a trainee at Dr Robin’s
clinic, to void one of the shops, which he (Dr Robin) had rented out to him. Approximately six (06) months
after this another Muslim man Muhammad Zaman set up a stall right in front of the Dr Robin’s clinic
illegally. At this Dr Sardar Robin asked Muhammad Zaman to take his stall some where else. Muhammad
Zaman replaced and moved his stall to the next shop which was being run by Muhammad Bashir’s younger
brother. Both the Muslim men had kept the vengeance simmering up in their hearts. And they started
building conspiracy against the Christians doctor.

Other well placed local sources revealed to BosNewsLife that on May 2nd Dr Sardar Robin caught
Muhammad Bashir discussing religious matters, related to Islam, in the clinic with other patients. Dr Robin
discouraged Muhammad Bashir’s religious discussions during the working hours and warned him not to do
so again. This act of the doctor tugged at the heart of Muhammad Bashir.

On May 3rd thousands of Muslims assembled and surrounded the residence and clinic, the angry mob kept
hurling stones and bricks at the house and medical clinic of the Christian doctor said the local Christian
witnesses. Eye witnesses also told BosNewsLife that the enraged hard line Islamic elements were shouting
anti-Christianity slogans at the top of their lungs and they were demanding death for the poor Doctor and
his entire family. Witnesses added that Special Police Squad Rescued the family and the Doctor, with their
heads covered with scarves in a very critical situation and even in the Police custody angry mob followed
and tried to snatch and hurt the Christian doctor and his family by pelting them with stones, bricks, shards
of glass and with clubs in their hands.

An APMA delegate who is also providing pro-bono legal assistance to the falsely accused, consisting of
Tahir Naveed Chaudhary member of provincial assembly of the Punjab, Azrah Shujaat the defense
counsel, advocate high court and president APMA lawyers wing and Pervaiz Rafique member Punjab
Assembly visited victim at District Jail Gujranwala. They prayed together there. Later Tahir Naveed
Chaudhary told BosNewsLife in an exclusive chat that Dr Sardar Robin is in good health and strong faith.

The APMA delegate was accompanied by local dignified men and quoted Dr Robin during the visit as
saying that a few months back he had advised a Sindhi patient to trim his beard. Dr Robin continued that
approximately 9 months after this incident Muhammad Rafique, who is also notorious for lodging fake
F.I.R (First Information Reports) with the police by heavily bribing the police.

It is pertinent to mention here that Chief of APMA had especially assigned a task to this APMA delegate to
sympathize with the detained Dr Robin and get examination roll number slips for the children of the
distressing family from the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Educational Board (BISE) Gujranwala, as
they were being hindered by the hard liner Muslim workers in the (BISE) Gujranwala, and final
examination of the educational year are about to commence. Dr Robin has 5 daughters and 1 son who are
scared and gone in hiding alongwith their mother.

Spouse of the Dr Robin, Mrs Venus told BosNewsLife “There was a lot of danger and infuriated people
surrounding us and they were chanting anti-Christianity slogans” she added that I thought I was going to be
killed.
Dr Sardar Robin’s 4th daughter Amelia who is student of 11th grade at a local college said that she got so
much scared that she started reciting the Holy Bible and prayed to God to protect her family and her father.

Another local dignitary Javed Qamar Sindhu, Member of District Assembly Hafizabad enlightened
BosNewsLife that Government must abrogate the controversial black blasphemy laws, otherwise these
laws would always hang like swords over the heads of all the minorities communities.

Talking to BosNewsLife from an undisclosed location , through an especially arranged phone call Dr
Robins adolescent son who is student of grade 7th said “ I was at the hostel when this lamentable incident
occurred, I am very much scared and can’t concentrate on my studies, and my final exams approaching “.

During an exclusive interview with BosNewsLife Chief of APMA said that I am struggling since 1985 for
the abolishment of these draconian laws, which are hovering like an angel of death over the heads of all the
Pakistani Minorities. He expressed his sympathy with the victimized Dr Sardar Robin and his hapless
family.

Bhatti added that he is a staunch defender of the rights of all the Pakistani Minorities, and his fight is not
for the perks and privileges. Fiery and gloomy Bhatti went on saying that he would step down from his
office of Member of National Assembly, in case he fails to come up to the mandate of Pakistani
marginalized Minorities.

Shahbaz Bhatti also said that innocent souls implicated into fake Blasphemy cases have to live their entire
lives like refugees, or illegal citizens, hiding here and there, with this stigma. He also said that the present
definition of the word ‘BLASPHEMY’ in the law is open-ended and vague; he called for redefining the
word ‘BLASPHEMY’ in Pakistani constitution.

Ferhan Mazher who heads a rights and advocacy organization ‘Rays of Development Organization (ROD)’
said that I am extremely traumatized to hear this sad news. He said that ROD would extend every possible
support to the pitiable family. He appealed to the Prime Minister and President to look into the matter and
ensure that justice is served to the victims of this Blasphemy case.

Jawad Mazhar ends for BNL