Christian world | One brother freed, the other still faces execution

ACW | 18 October 2026 — Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday 7 October dismissed the appeal of Qaiser Ayub, a 49-year-old Christian, and upheld his death sentence.

According to Christian Daily International, the three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi acquitted his younger brother Amoon Ayub, 46, and ordered his release, finding his personal involvement unproven. Qaiser was convicted under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which covers derogatory remarks about the Prophet of Islam.

The case dates back to 2011. Blasphemous material was allegedly published on a website registered in Qaiser's name. He says he shut the site in 2009 and that acquaintances later revived it, keeping his name in the copyright details. A trial court sentenced both brothers to death in 2018, and the Lahore High Court upheld the sentence in 2022.

Shaheryar Gill, senior counsel for the brothers with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), said the team was delighted at Amoon's release but grieved for Qaiser, and will file a review petition. Nasir Saeed of CLAAS asked how, if the evidence against one brother was insufficient, the other can be sent to the gallows.

Why it matters: The ruling shows how Pakistan's blasphemy law can keep a Christian in prison for more than a decade, even when the court finds the same evidence insufficient for his brother.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Christian Daily International; IANS; ACLJ

Photo: Protest against blasphemy laws in Faisalabad on National Minorities Day — Minorities Alliance Pakistan