Analiza Pathak
Born in Guwahati, raised in Mussoorie and Delhi, She grew up reading magazines more than textbooks. She is an experienced writer/editor and has shifted focus to various aspects of communication. Her a ... Read More
Islamabad: A ruling by a court in Punjab Province has sparked controversy as a 22-year-old student has been sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy related to Whatsapp messages. The court found him guilty of sharing blasphemous pictures and videos with the intent to offend the religious sentiments of Muslims. Alongside him, a 17-year-old was also sentenced to life imprisonment in connection to the same case. Both individuals have maintained their innocence throughout the legal proceedings. In Pakistan, blasphemy carries the death penalty in Pakistan, with some individuals even lynched before their trials.
According to a report in BBC, the judges in their verdict stated that the 22-year-old student was found guilty of creating and disseminating photos and videos containing derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad and his wives. The younger defendant, being a minor, received a life sentence for sharing the objectionable material.
The case originated from a complaint filed in 2022 by the cybercrime unit of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency in Lahore, which was later referred to a local court in Gujranwala.
The plaintiff alleged that he had received the offensive videos and photos from three different mobile phone numbers. The FIA, after examining the plaintiff’s phone, confirmed that “obscene material” had indeed been sent to him. However, the defense lawyers argued that the two students were victims of a false case.
The father of the student facing the death penalty, whose identity remains undisclosed, informed BBC that he would be filing an appeal in the Lahore High Court. As for the other student, the court opted for a life imprisonment sentence due to his minor status.
This Punjab province case comes less than a month after an angry mob accused a woman of blasphemy for wearing a dress adorned with Arabic calligraphy, mistaken for Quran verses.
In August last year, violent incidents occurred in the city of Jaranwala, where numerous churches and homes were set ablaze following accusations against two Christian men for allegedly desecrating the Quran.
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