A Christian nurse was reportedly tied up and tortured by a mob at a Pakistani hospital after a Muslim colleague falsely accused her of blasphemy. Tabitha Nazir Gill, 30, was attacked and beaten by staff at the Sobhraj Maternity Hospital in Karachi where she has worked for nine years, Rabwah reports.
The head nurse was allegedly falsely accused of blasphemy after she challenged a coworker for accepting money from a patient. Gill is said to have implemented a rule which stops staff receiving money from people using the hospital services.
After seeing a Muslim coworker breaking the order, she told them about their breach and the member of staff subsequently accused them of blasphemy.
One man in the angry mob can be seen attempting to climb through a window to get to the woman before they gain access to the room she is in. There are also claims that she was tied up by the angry mob, tortured and locked inside a room before being taken to the police station.
Journalist Naila Inayat tweeted: ‘Gill on Thursday was beaten up by hospital staff who alleged she passed derogatory remarks. ‘Police dismissed charge earlier as a vendetta. Today police registered a case after a mob surrounded the station.’
Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws which carry a death penalty for people who insult the Prophet Muhammad, Islam, the Quran or certain holy people.
An overwhelming 98 per cent of the population follows Islam and critics say the law targets members of other religious groups including Hindus and Christians. Domestic and international human rights groups say blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate minorities and settle personal scores.
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