No One Held Accountable for 2014 Honor Killing of Shajjad Masih and Shama Bibi

A landmark judgment from Pakistan’s Supreme Court on 10 July erased the convictions of the three men previously sentenced to death for the 2014 killing of Christian couple Shajjad Masih, 26, and his pregnant wife Shama Bibi, 24. The couple was trapped in a brick kiln in Kasur district after a large mob, incited by a local preacher, accused them of Quranic disrespect. Over 1,000 people beat and burned them alive.

The apex court ruled that the prosecution’s case was weak and that police had mishandled evidence, leading to the acquittal. It also rejected a challenge by the Punjab provincial authorities that sought to reinstate penalties against 102 alleged participants. Consequently, the case now stands without any convicted individual.

Earlier proceedings had resulted in five death sentences and eight prison terms, but most were later overturned for insufficient proof. A 2018 decision cleared an additional twenty suspects. Catholic bishops highlighted that such outcomes illustrate a persistent failure of the justice system to protect religious minorities in Pakistan.