06 April 2025 :

A judge in Pakistan on March 27, 2025 sentenced to death a Muslim who murdered a 20-year-old Christian in the presence of his family members, sources said.
Saima Riyasat, additional sessions judge of Pasrur, Sialkot District, handed the country’s maximum punishment for murder to Muhammad Zubair for killing Farhan Ul Qamar on Nov. 9, 2023, said Christian attorney Lazar Allah Rakha. The court also imposed a fine of 500,000 Pakistani Rupees ($1,785 USD), he said.
On the night of the killing, Zubair showed hatred for Christians and Jews, mistakenly referring to the family as Jews as he ranted at them before killing Farhan Ul Qamar, family members said.
Rakha expressed gratitude for support extended by legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which helped cover the legal costs of the trial.
Victim’s father, Noor Ul Qamar, said Zubair’s family had used various tactics to repeatedly intimidate and harass them into reaching a “compromise” with them, which could have resulted in a pardon for the killer.
“Our struggle was not only to get justice for Farhan, but also to ensure that no other Christian family in our area would suffer at the hands of such religiously-prejudiced criminals,” Ul Qamar said.
Four policemen remain deployed at the family’s home due to the threats Zubair’s family has issued, he said.
Among 20-25 other Christian families in Talwandi Inayat Khan village, Pasrur tehsil of Sialkot District, Punjab Province, Ul Qamar’s family has resided in the area for generations, often facing religious bias and discrimination, he said.
Zubair has the right to appeal the sentence, but it may take two to three years before an appeal is set for a hearing before the high court, said Rakha.