Pakistan court sentences man to death for sharing ‘blasphemous’ content on social media

The accused was arrested in the year 2021 and has been lodged inside the Peshawar Central Prison ever since.

Following the allegations, he was arrested in the year 2021 and lodged inside the Peshawar Central Prison ever since.

An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar in northwest Pakistan sentenced a man, identified as Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, to death and imprisonment after he was accused of sharing blasphemous content on a WhatsApp group. Zeeshan was convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act (ATA) on Friday, March 24.

Under various sections of the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC) and the ATA, Zeeshan was also fined PKR 3,00,000; 10 years imprisonment and PKR 2,00,000; three years imprisonment and PKR 1,00,000; five years imprisonment and PKR 2,00,000; two years imprisonment and PKR 2,00,000 fine; and three years imprisonment and PKR 200,000, a report by Dawn said.

The cumulative fine imposed upon the accused came to PKR 1.2 million.

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Zeeshan’s case was reportedly brought to light after a resident of Punjab’s Talagang lodged a complaint with the Counter Terrorism Wing of the Federal Investigative Agency in Islamabad, accusing Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content, including malicious content against holy personalities of Islam.

Following the allegations, he was arrested in the year 2021 and has been lodged inside the Peshawar Central Prison ever since. On Friday, the Peshawar court held that the death sentence awarded to the accused would be subject to the decision of any appeal, reported Dawn.

In the past, allegations of blasphemy have stirred mob lynchings and violence in Pakistan. A 2022 report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies demonstrated the volatility around the offence, even when not proven, when it revealed that “as many as 89 citizens have been killed in 1,415 accusations and cases of blasphemy” since 1947.

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