Christian mother, son killed in Pak over alleged blasphemous remarks

Media reports have suggested that the woman and her son were killed after allegedly saying blasphemous words during an argument.

A Christian mother and her son were murdered in broad day light at a village in the Pakistani province of Punjab on Monday in what media reports said was a killing over alleged blasphemy.

A protest against blasphemy in Pakistan. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in the country. The murder of the mother-son duo was caused by their alleged blasphemous remarks, according to media reports.(AFP file)

In a report filed by Shabbir Masih with the local police, he stated that his wife Yasmeen Masih and son Usman Masih were killed by their neighbour Hussain Shakoor in Hussain Kathore village located in Ahmad Nagar area of Gujranwala district after a heated argument between Yasmeen and Hussain’s mother, Itrat Bibi.

There is no mention of blasphemy in the police report and the reason for the killing has been described as a personal dispute over cleaning of the street on which both families lived.

The husband has stated in his report that some months ago, the two women had entered into an argument and this was the reason why Itrat Bibi and her son took revenge on Monday. Hussain Shakoor first shot Yasmeen and when her son came to aid his mother, he also was also shot in the chest.

Media reports have suggested that Itrat Bibi and her son Hussain Shakoor killed the mother and son because they claim they heard them utter blasphemous words during the argument. Police have so far refuted this claim.