undreds of people gathered last week near a residential camp for Chinese nationals working on the Dasu Hydropower Project in the Kohistan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They were shouting death threats against a Chinese labour supervisor at the construction site, accusing him of blasphemy.

Preliminary police reports said the accused had apparently questioned the absence and late arrival for work of some workers. Most of the workers, it suggested, were going for long taraveeh prayers.

The suspect has been arrested for investigation and possible prosecution under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries the death penalty, and the Anti-Terrorism Act. Sympathetic protests erupted in various parts of the region after the news spread. The first information report quotes some workers and their interpreters as saying that the suspect had uttered blasphemous remarks on seeking prayer breaks.

To ensure safety of the suspect, the police used a helicopter to shift him to Abbottabad where he is currently being detained.

His strong objection to late arrivals was described by some labourers as disrespectful, derogatory and blasphemous.

In a somewhat similar case, in December 2021, charged labourers at a sportswear factory in Sialkot, had lynched a Sri Lankan manager after accusing him of blasphemy and set fire to the body in plain view of a police squad. The deceased had been a manager at the factory for the past nine years.

Lawyer Hina Jillani, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson, says this has to do with mob psychology. “The use of religion by state and different governments… has brought us to this point… the people have picked up the narrative,” she says.

She says such incidents involving foreigners can affect foreign investment as such reports might deter people coming to Pakistan for work. “We know that Chinese are working on several development projects in Pakistan. There might be mischief behind the accusation,” she says. She adds, “We have already seen many cases where such an accusation was used to settle scores.”

A senior police officer in Upper Kohistan said once the investigation was completed, the suspect might be tried in a court in Abbottabad. “He will be produced before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Abbottabad,” he said.

The suspect has reportedly denied the charge, saying he had never made any remarks about a religious matter and said nothing that could hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims. The special investigation team is not ruling out the possibility of a plot to disrupt work on the 3,420-megawatt Dasu hydropower project. An interpreter cited as a witness, has appeared confused and unsure.

Targeting of marginalised sections of the society using blasphemy accusations has been an indicator of the worsening situation with regard to religious extremism and intolerance.

In the past few weeks, there have also been some incidents of vandalisation of worship places and graves.

The recent passage of a law by the National Assembly to increase the severity of sentences related to blasphemy has also generated concern among civil society activists, human rights organisations and marginalised communities. The National Assembly has unanimously approved a bill moved by a Jamaat-i-Islami member, titled The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, to increase the minimum punishment for those who insult sacred figures in Islam from three to 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 million. The bill has now been sent to the Senate for approval in 90 days. If it is not approved in the Upper House, the bill will be debated in a joint session of the parliament.

The writer is a member of staff. He may be reached at vaqargillani@gmail.com and @waqargillani on Twitter