Haroon Shahzad Acquitted

In June 2023, Haroon Shahzad posted a Bible passage on his Facebook page without any commentary. Some community members were offended by the post, which eventually led to mob riots. While the authorities were able to avert the resulting violence, hundreds of Christians – including Haroon and his family – were forced to flee their village. Based on the allegations, Haroon was initially charged with blasphemy. (Read further details about his case.)

Despite the charge against him, the 47-year-old believer was granted bail in November 2023. Yet, due to ongoing threats against his life, he was forced to remain in hiding since that time. It was only recently revealed that Haroon had in fact been wrongfully accused. Following the Muslim complainant's official retraction of the blasphemy allegation, Haroon received acquittal by the court on September 27th of 2025. Apparently, news of the decision was withheld until now for security reasons.

Reflecting on the court decision, Christian lawyer Aneeqa Maria stated: "The verdict lays bare the profound fragility of justice itself. It reveals a system in which an individual's liberty, dignity and entire future can be held hostage by a flawed process, where an accusation alone can unleash turmoil, turn lives upside down and leave families shattered."

While the miraculous turnaround in Haroon's case brings great joy for members of Pakistan's Christian community, the threat of vigilante violence against him and other accused believers remains a serious concern. Additional reports addressing the persecution of Christians in this South Asian nation may be reviewed at our country profile.

• Thanks be to God that the truth regarding Haroon's case has been revealed, and that justice on his behalf is finally being served.
• Please pray for this believer's continued safety and protection from opposing community members, asking that news of his acquittal will quell any further threats of violence.
• May God bring about lasting changes to Pakistan's blasphemy laws so that such unjust allegations against our Christian brothers and sisters will cease and justice will prevail.