"I'm scared," said Rimsa Masih, a teenaged Christian girl in Pakistan who faced a life sentence for allegedly buring pages of the Quran but has now been released on bail. She told a US broadcaster about her fears that she may be killed
u00a0
Rimsha Masih, who was taken into custody under the blasphemy law, told CNN that she was happy to be back with her family but still feared for her life.u00a0
ADVERTISEMENT
u00a0
"I'm scared," she told CNN over phone. "I'm afraid of anyone who might kill us."
u00a0
She spoke from her hideout where she was taken in a helicopter after her release on bail.
u00a0
When asked how she was doing, she said she was good.
u00a0
"No, no," she replied to a query on whether she ever burned pages of the Quran.
u00a0
Were you falsely accused? "Yes," she responded.
u00a0
Rimsha's lawyers have denied that she desecrated the Quran. They said instead said that the neighbour wanted to settle a personal score with Rimsha because the two didn't get along.
u00a0
The lawyers told CNN this may have been because he liked her but she didn't like him back.
u00a0
Rimsha's father Mizrak Mashi said no one in his family would dare dishonour the Quran.
u00a0
"We respect the Quran just like we respect the Bible," he was quoted as saying.u00a0
u00a0
"We couldn't imagine committing blasphemy let alone doing it. Our children would never do this either."
u00a0
Local imam Khalid Jadoon has been taken into judicial custody as he was "accused of inserting pages of the Quran into the bag containing other religious material that the girl is alleged to have burned".u00a0
u00a0
The muezzin of the same mosque who gave his testimony in an Islamabad court claims that the "imam wanted to beef up the 'evidence' to ensure that the girl's family would have to leave the neighbourhood for good", reported Pakistan's leading daily Dawn.
u00a0
The daily described Khalid Jadoon's alleged act as "awful".
"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels 
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
