Pakistan Frees Chinese Citizen on Bail Over Blasphemy Charge

A Chinese citizen accused of blasphemy in Pakistan was released on bail after an anti-terror court ruled that no offense had been committed.

(Bloomberg) — A Chinese citizen accused of blasphemy in Pakistan was released on bail after an anti-terror court ruled that no offense had been committed.

The main accuser in the blasphemy case kept changing his statement and bail has been granted until the case is concluded, which may take a few months, according to a police official. The Chinese citizen is the head of the transport department at Dasu power plant that’s currently under construction, and was detained about more than a week ago.

The police had registered a complaint against the Chinese executive, identified as Tian, on the request of local workers and nearby residents for speaking against Islam in an argument. He was not brought to court due to security reasons, according to the Dawn newspaper.

Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in the Muslim-majority nation and many accused have been beaten to death by angry mobs before an investigation.

Pakistan is one of the flagship destinations for Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. China is involved in the construction of most power plants in Pakistan but has been troubled by payment delays and being targeted in a fresh wave of terror attacks.

Militants targeted the same Dasu power project two years ago with a bomb blast that killed 12 Chinese workers traveling in a bus.

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