The Catholic community in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, is mourning the death of Amir Peter, a 60-year-old Pakistani Catholic and the brother of Capuchin priest Fr. Henry Paul, who died in prison while awaiting trial on a blasphemy charge.
Amir Peter died on July 1, 2026, in the prison infirmary after developing severe medical complications during nearly a year in detention.
His death has renewed concerns over the misuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws and the prolonged detention of people accused under the controversial legislation.
Amir Peter was arrested on July 19, 2025, after local businessmen allegedly filed a false blasphemy complaint against him. His health deteriorated significantly during his imprisonment, but despite his worsening physical and mental condition, he remained in custody.
The Capuchin Friars in Lahore and the Christian organization Christians True Spirit provided legal assistance and filed a petition seeking his release on medical grounds. However, he died before the court could rule on the request.
"The Catholic community mourns the loss of a man whose life was tragically cut short by a flawed legal process," said Fr. Qaisar Feroz, OFM Cap, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan, while expressing condolences to Amir Peter's family, especially Fr. Henry Paul.
"His condition was ignored, and he was denied the urgent medical care he desperately needed," Fr. Feroz added.
During the funeral Mass on July 2 at St. Joseph's Church in Lahore, Archbishop Khalid Rehmat, OFM Cap, praised Amir Peter's steadfast faith.
"Amir Peter remained steadfast in his faith until his last breath. He lived his entire life according to the values of the Gospel and remained faithful to the Church. His witness of fidelity to God is an example for his children and for all of us," the archbishop said.
Fr. Henry Paul thanked God for his brother's life and witness.
"We thank God for the gift of Amir's deep faith, through which he lived his entire life with simplicity and humility," he said, while also expressing gratitude to priests, religious, and faithful for their prayers and support during the family's ordeal.
In a separate case that ended differently, Nadeem Masih, a Pakistani Catholic who has been blind since birth and has a physical disability, was recently acquitted after spending about 10 months in prison on a blasphemy charge.
Arrested in 2025 following allegations made by his Muslim co-workers, Masih was cleared by a trial court after it found the evidence against him insufficient and ruled that the accusations had been "fabricated." The court ordered his immediate release.
Commenting on both cases, Fr. Feroz said they demonstrate the continued abuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
"These cases, which have also affected the Catholic community, confirm that Pakistan's blasphemy laws continue to be abused and manipulated through false accusations made for personal revenge," he said.
He urged the Pakistani government to introduce safeguards to protect those falsely accused.
"We call on the Government of Pakistan to take appropriate measures to protect the lives of all those who are falsely accused and imprisoned without any proper investigation or evidence," he said.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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