A Muslim man named Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was found guilty of sharing blasphemous content on a WhatsApp group by an anti-terrorism court in northwest Pakistan on Friday. He was sentenced to death by the court.
This act is regarded as highly sensitive in Pakistan due to its Muslim majority, with unverified accusations having the potential to incite violent mobs.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ
The court handed down a death sentence to Zeeshan, who was charged under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act in Peshawar.
A copy of court order obtained by news agency AFP read: "Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty."
Zeeshan, a resident from the northwest city of Mardan, received a sentence of 23 years in prison and a fine of 1.2 million rupees ($4,300).
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ
According to Ibrar Hussain, counsel for Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Talagang in Punjab province, the case originated from an application filed with the Federal Investigation Agency two years ago. The application accused Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group. Zeeshan has the right to appeal the decision.
"FIA had confiscated Zeeshan's cell-phone and its forensic examination proved him guilty", he said.
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป
Although Pakistan's laws banning blasphemy carry a potential death sentence, it has never been executed for the offense thus far.
While many blasphemy cases in Pakistan involve Muslims accusing other Muslims, rights activists caution that religious minorities, especially Christians, are often caught in the middle. In such cases, blasphemy charges are often used to settle personal disputes.
Over the last two decades, 774 Muslims and 760 members of minority religious groups were accused of blasphemy, according to the National Commission of Justice and Peace, a Pakistani human rights and legal aid group.
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