Family of dead grandfather demand PM's intervention

Tuesday 30th September 2014 11:36 EDT
 
 

Family of the British-Pakistani grandfather who was shot by prison guard in Rawalpindi jail, have demanded for justice and urged PM David Cameron to intervene, after he was shot dead inside the prison.

Muhammad Asghar, 70, was injured in the shooting at the Adiyala prison in the northern Pakistani city, while another man - local Christian pastor Zafar Bhatti who was also on death for blasphemy - was killed.

His daughter Jasmine Rana told reporters in Glasgow that it was her "worst nightmare come true".

Mr Asghar, a successful businessman from Edinburgh, was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to death in January after he was accused of declaring himself a prophet by a disgruntled tenant living at a property owned by Mr Asghar's family.

Mr Asghar had previously been detained under the UK's mental health act and diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He had been held at the prison pending an appeal against his death sentence.

Prison officials say that a jail employee has been arrested over the incident.

In a statement the British High Commission said: "We can confirm that a British national has been injured in prison in Pakistan. We are providing consular assistance."


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