A Christian bicycle mechanic in Lahore was arrested on June 15 over accusations of blasphemy after he became a part of a quarrel in respect to payment for services with a customer, police claimed on Thursday.
The Pak Center for Law and Justice is investigating the case.
Ashfaq Masih, a resident of Mariam Colony in Green Town in Lahore, was working at a repair shop in the Bagarhian suburb of the city when Muhammad Ishfaq, a resident of the same area, had his bicycle repaired by him, according to Human rights activist Napoleon Qayyum, in a conversation with a private newspaper.
The two became a part of a heated dispute when Masih demanded Rs35-40 for his services and Ishfaq asked Masih to reduce the price as he is a poor man, as stated by Qayyum.
The the argument intensified when Masih would not agree to lower the fee, reminding the bicycle owner that he was a poor man himself and needed the money as well, according to the rights activist.
After people circled around them to witness the incident, unknown individuals levelled allegations of blasphemy against Masih, incurring the disagreement to further intensify the already-heated situation, Qayyum stated.
Police, who were brought to the scene, arrested Masih, moving him to the Green Town police station.
Station House Officer (SHO) of Green Town police station Wasim Akhtar confirmed to a private newspaper that a blasphemy case had been filed against Masih on June 15 after his arrest.
