LAHORE (LifeSiteNews) — A court in Pakistan has acquitted a blind Catholic man who was imprisoned for 10 months under false blasphemy charges.
A court in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, acquitted Nadeem Masih of “blasphemy” charges under Section 295-C of Pakistan’s blasphemy law due to lack of evidence. The blasphemy law criminalizes insults against the Islamic “prophet” Muhammad.
The “blasphemy” charge carried the death penalty.
Masih had been in custody since August 2025. According to Christian Solidarity International (CSI), the Catholic man was the victim of false accusations by estate sharks who wanted to take possession of the 51-year-old’s land.
Masih earned a living operating a weighing scale for visitors at Nawaz Sharif Park. His family said that contractors harassed him and demanded money and later made the accusations of alleged blasphemy to the police.
Defense attorney Javed Sahotra said that the prosecution’s own alleged evidence undermined its case.
“The police report stated they received information about the alleged blasphemy at 11 p.m., although the park closes at 9 p.m. Two prosecution witnesses also gave statements that raised serious questions about the allegations,” Sahotra told EWTN News.
The defense lawyer said that the 10 months in prison were especially difficult for Masih because of his disability.
“He spent 10 distressing months in prison. Simple daily tasks such as using the toilet and obtaining food were major challenges,” the lawyer stated. “Even a poor blind man was not spared.”
“In prison, I was tormented by the constant fear of whether I would ever get out again or die in that darkness,” Masih told CSI.
Yet he said, “I felt the warmth of God and the prayers of everyone who supported me” while in jail.
“When the judge pronounced the word ‘acquitted,’ it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest, and I was able to truly breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in 10 months,” Masih said after the verdict.
He also forgave his persecutors.
“I’m not angry at those who harmed me; I’m simply filled with pure joy at holding my mother Martha’s hand again, being surrounded by my sisters, and receiving Father Shafiq’s blessing amid a shower of rose petals,” he said.
Religious minorities, especially Christians, are frequently “brought into line” with false accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan. Mobs loot stores or chase Christians through the streets when accusations of blasphemy about individuals circulate.
According to a local human rights group, 812 people were imprisoned on blasphemy-related charges in the Punjab region in 2025.
Over the past five years, CSI, which paid for Masih’s legal fees in his case, has helped secure the acquittal of 15 individuals accused of blasphemy. Ten of those acquittals were Christians, and five were Muslims.
Masih thanked CSI for their help: “Knowing that CSI is protecting me gives me complete peace of mind. My freedom is a miracle, and we are ready to rebuild our lives with our heads held high.”
The organization Voice of the Victims of Blasphemy Business Group said the acquittal is a rare example of a lower court dismissing a blasphemy case. Public pressure usually prevents lower courts from dismissing these charges, according to the group. The organization said that it hoped courts are becoming less susceptible to public pressure against those accused of blasphemy.