An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar has awarded a death sentence to a man for committing blasphemy and other religion-related offenses on social media.
A resident of Punjab’s Talagang district filed a complaint with the FIA Counter Terrorism Wing Islamabad against the convict, accusing him of uploading blasphemous content on social media and a Whatsapp group.
He had also accused the convict, who is a Mardan resident, of sharing malicious content against holy personalities of Islam on social media.
The convict was arrested in 2021 and was kept in the Peshawar Central Prison, where the trial was also held due to security concerns.
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million on the convict, declaring the prosecution had “fully” proved its case against the accused, Dawn reported.
The convict was charged under the Pakistan Penal Code’s sections 295-A (insulting religious beliefs), 295-C (use of derogatory remarks in respect of Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and 298-A (derogatory remarks in respect of holy personages), the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act’s Section 20 (offences against the dignity of a person) and Section 22 (child pornography), and Section 7(1)(g) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (incitement of hatred on sectarian and religious basis).
Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on dissent on social media.
