Police deny Muslim-Christian conflict sparked by alleged blasphemy in village in Pakistan

After news broke out about increasing tensions in a Pakistan village sparked by a Christian man who was accused of blasphemy, police are saying the reports are not true.

The conflict allegedly began when Imran Masih, who worked as a cleaner, was accused of blasphemy by a Muslim man who saw a video of a Christian pastor's sermon on his mobile phone at work.

Other versions of the story have since come out. One version said Masih and a Muslim friend argued about religion while on a drinking bout. Other people said Masih had a relationship with a Muslim woman, which started the conflict, while others said land grabbers sparked the conflict in the area, World Watch Monitor reported.

The tension apparently increased in Masih's village, Chak 44, where majority of the residents are Muslim and only 35 Christian families lived. Previous reports stated that a fatwa has been issued against Masih, and that Christians in the village have been threatened to convert to Islam, leave the place or be killed.

"To our best knowledge, no fatwa has been issued against Imran and no application for registration of a case against him has been submitted to the police," police said.

However, a small police contingent has been deployed in the area since May 6 as a response to Christian residents who asked for support.

Raja Basharat, Mandi Bahauddin district police officer, said a Christian man named Amir Yaqoob called the police saying he was warned by a Muslim friend, Dr. Ashraf Faizi, that Muslims were talking about attacking Christians and burning their houses.

Faizi overheard the discussion at the mosque, and when he tried to intervene, the group beat him and threw him out.

Basharat said the rumors about the attacks were spread by Faizi, causing tensions to increase in the place. Yaqoob, on the other hand, said a fatwa was indeed issued against Masih. The person who saw Masih's phone reportedly went to Sargodha district to get the fatwa against him, prompting Masih to flee.

Despite the conflicting stories about what really happened, the events have surely affected the residents of Chak 44.

"Although most people have returned to their houses and they are able to buy goods from shops, only those Christians who've been given an advance loan are being used [in bonded labor]," resident Asif Ishaq said. "Despite the wheat harvest season, other Christians are not being hired for labor. When we are dependent on Muslim landlords for our living, then what can we say?"