Karachi, Mar 16(ANI): A Christian serving a life sentence in Pakistan on blasphemy charges has died under mysterious circumstances in Karachi's central jail.
Officials say that Qamar David, who was convicted of making blasphemous comments against the Koran and the Prophet in a text message to a business rival, died of a heart attack, but his family says that this is unlikely to be true for a fit and healthy man.
"My client was in perfect condition the last time I met him," David's lawyer Pervez Chaudhry told the BBC.
"I have spoken to the family and we don't believe he died a natural death... He had been receiving threats against his life," he said, adding, "I had submitted an application in this regard in court - my client had also mentioned that prison officials were involved."
David's family has backed up Chaudhry's arguments.
"I visited him quite regularly and he had never complained of any illness," Shahid Sagar, David's cousin, was quoted as saying.
"He was certainly not in the kind of condition that would make him drop dead all of a sudden. I can't accept this report of him dying of a heart attack," he added.
But prison officials are adamant that David died of natural causes.
"There is no question about it - he died of natural causes," Sindh Inspector General of Prisons Ghulam Qadir Thebo said.
Thebo said that there was no question of David being targeted by Muslim prisoners, as he was lodged in a Christians-only wing.
"Our investigations have not yielded any evidence of foul play," Thebo said, adding, "There is no evidence to suggest he was murdered."
He, however, added that further inquiries could be conducted if demanded by the family.
David's wife is now on her way to Karachi, Chaudhry said, adding that she is expected to ask for a post mortem examination when she arrives on Wednesday. (ANI)
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