Pakistan court sentences man to death for blasphemy in Peshawar

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 25 (ANI): An anti-terrorism court of Pakistan on Friday convicted a man on the charges of committing blasphemy and other religion-related offences on social media and sentenced him to death, Dawn reported.
The man was arrested by the FIA Counter-Terrorism Wing, Islamabad, on October 27, 2021, 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 many more.
The case was filed by a resident of Punjab province's Talagang district on the charges of uploading blasphemous content on social media forums, including a WhatsApp group.
He further stated that the accused had shared malicious content against holy personalities of Islam on social media, reported Dawn.
In the court, the judge declared that the prosecution had "fully" proved its case against the accused, a resident of Mardan and that the evidence available on record connected him with the commission of the offences.
As the matter was sensitive, the accused was tried inside the Peshawar Central Prison, where he had been kept since his arrest in the year 2021.
The convict was also given the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure under which the period of his detention prior to conviction will be counted as the jail term.
The court also declared that the death sentence for the accused would be subject to the decision of any appeal or revision.
In November last year, an anti-terrorism court convicted a man for blasphemy and other offences on social media and handed down the death sentence and a collective fine of Rs1.6 million to him, reported dawn.
The convict's appeal against the sentences is pending with the Peshawar High Court. (ANI)