ISLAMABAD - Rimsha Masih, the 14-year-old Christian girl accused of blasphemy, expressed fear for her life in her first-ever interview on Tuesday. “I’m scared… I’m afraid of anyone who might kill us,” Rimsha told CNN in the interview. The girl was recently granted bail in a blasphemy case which said that she had burnt pages of the Noorani Qaeda. During investigations into the case, it was revealed that a local cleric had added burnt Holy Quran pages to the ashes to make the case “stronger” against Rimsha. Three witnesses have recorded their statements against the cleric.
Rimsha, after being granted bail, was shifted to an undisclosed location through a helicopter. Her family had also been shifted earlier to the same location.
According to CNN, Rimsha spoke in short sentences during the interview often answering “yes” or “no” in a “shy and nervous voice”. Rimsha denied having burnt the pages and said that she was falsely accused. However, she did not give exact details about what happened on August 16 – the day she was accused of blasphemy.
Rimsha’s father, Mizrak Masih, was also contacted by CNN. He said that no one in his family would ever dishonor the Holy Quran. “We respect the Quran just like we respect the Bible,” he was quoted as saying. “I love Pakistan… I won’t ever leave my country,” he was further quoted.