British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced scrutiny on Wednesday as he had to justify the actions of the governing Conservative Party while acknowledging that one of the party’s major donors made “racist” comments targeting an Opposition Labour Party MP.

During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons, Sunak, referring to his Indian heritage, defended his government amid criticism over wealthy businessman Frank Hester’s reported remarks in a 2019 meeting. Hester allegedly said that Labour MP Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women” and in another meeting, mentioned that Abbott “should be shot”.

Sunak told members of Parliament that the comments were “wrong, racist, and he has rightly apologized for them.” He emphasized that there is no place for racism in Britain and highlighted the diversity within the government he leads.

While Labour Leader Keir Starmer criticized Sunak for not returning the donated money from Hester, the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) accused Sunak of prioritizing money over morals.

Responding to the criticism, Sunak defended Hester’s support for “one of the most diverse governments in this country’s history, led by this country’s first British Asian Prime Minister.”

The Guardian, which reported Hester’s controversial comments, mentioned that Hester expressed regret for being rude about Diane Abbott but clarified that his criticism wasn’t based on her gender or skin color.

In addition to the remarks about Abbott, the Guardian also reported another incident where Hester questioned if there was “no room for the Indians” at a company meeting. A minister in Sunak’s Cabinet defended Hester, stating that he does not believe Hester is a racist despite his inappropriate comments. The minister emphasized the diverse composition of the current government as evidence against accusations of racism within the Conservative Party.

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According to a report by the BBC on Friday, a 22-year-old student in Pakistan has been sentenced to death for blasphemy over Whatsapp messages.

The court in Pakistan’s Punjab province issued the ruling this week, stating that the student had been convicted for sharing photos and videos containing derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.

Another student, aged 17, received a life sentence instead of the death penalty due to being a minor.

Blasphemy is considered a capital offense in Pakistan, although no one has been executed by the state for it thus far. However, several individuals accused of blasphemy have been lynched by enraged mobs.

The case against the student originated from a complaint filed in 2022 by the cybercrime unit of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Lahore. The complainant alleged receiving the offensive material from three different mobile phone numbers.

Upon examining the complainant’s phone, the FIA confirmed the presence of “obscene material.”

The lawyers representing the two students have argued that their clients have been ensnared in a fabricated case. The father of the student facing the death penalty intends to lodge an appeal in the Lahore High Court, as reported by the BBC.

In a separate incident last August, over 80 Christian homes and 19 churches in Pakistan were vandalized following accusations against two Christian brothers of desecrating the Quran.

One of the most prominent blasphemy cases in Pakistan involved Asia Bibi, a Christian woman whose decade-long legal battle culminated in the overturning of her death sentence, leading to her departure from the country.