16 March 2011 VOA News A Christian man convicted of blasphemy has died in a Pakistani jail.
Authorities at the prison in Karachi say Qamar David died of a heart attack Tuesday after complaining of chest pain. But David's lawyer says he was likely murdered.
Prison officials say an autopsy will be carried out in the presence of family members.
David was serving a life sentence for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
His lawyer, Pervez Chaudhry, told reporters on Wednesday the 55-year-old was in good health and that he did not die of natural causes. Chaudhry said David had received death threats.
Two prominent Pakistani politicians have been murdered this year for speaking out against the country's blasphemy law, which carries the death penalty for insulting Islam.
Earlier this month, Minister of Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the federal Cabinet, was gunned down in Islamabad. In January, Punjab province's governor, Salman Taseer, was killed by one of his bodyguards for opposing the controversial blasphemy law. The assassinations drew international condemnation.
Christians are the largest non-Muslim religious minority in Pakistan, making up about 5 percent of the population.
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