Long-time Pakistan prisoner of faith Zafar Bhatti has died shortly after being released from prison.
The former pastor died of a heart attack at the weekend, just two days after being acquitted and set free, Release International has heard.
The surprise news of his liberty had came through on Friday, October 3 from Release International partners in Pakistan.
Zafar had been in Rawalpindi’s Adyala Central Jail since July 2012, when he was charged with sending blasphemous text messages – charges he always denied.
Release International’s CEO Paul Robinson said, ‘This is very sad news to hear, so soon after Zafar’s release from prison. We would ask supporters to pray for his widow.’
Zafar was arrested after a local Islamic leader filed a complaint, saying he had been sent messages from an unregistered number, insulting the mother of the Prophet Mohammed. The police later arrested Zafar and it is understood he was tortured to extract a confession, but he insisted on his innocence. Several reports at the time proved that the phone SIM referred to was not registered to Zafar, but was, in fact, registered to a woman who was later arrested, charged, but granted bail. She died in November 2016 from Hepatitis C.
Zafar eventually came to trial in 2017, with proceedings being conducted inside prison because of security threats. In May 2017 he was sentenced to life imprisonment. In December 2021 this was increased to the death sentence.
While in prison Zafar experienced pressure from Muslim prisoners to convert to Islam and was beaten several times. His wife Nawab struggled to make ends meet after her husband’s arrest. Release International partners have regularly visited Nawab over the years, providing support.
