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Blasphemy Law
A Pakistani court has awarded a death sentence and 80-year imprisonment to four persons for uploading blasphemous content on Facebook, an official said on Saturday. Additional Sessions Judge Mohammad Tariq Ayub on Friday convicted four suspects -- Wajid Ali, Ahfaq Ali Saqib, Rana Usman and Suleman Sajid -- for insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his companions, and his wives. The court official said the convicts uploaded blasphemous content on Facebook from four different IDs. "The judge after hearing arguments of both prosecution and defence and witnesses accounts awarded the death penalty and 80 years imprisonment to each of them on different counts," the official said. They were also slapped with a fine of PKR 5.2 million. Pakistan's Federal Investigation (FIA) Cybercrime registered a case under Section 11 of the PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act) and 295A, 295B, 295C, 298A, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Shiraz Farooqi, a citizen. According t
Pakistani police arrested a Chinese national on blasphemy charges after he allegedly insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, authorities said on Monday. Under Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, the offense carries the death penalty. Police identified the man only as Mr. Tian from China and said he was arrested on Sunday night, hours after hundreds of residents and laborers working on a dam project blocked a key highway and rallied to demand his arrest. The rally took place in the town of Komela in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, according to local police chief Naseer Khan. Khan said officers quickly responded to the protests by rescuing and arresting the Chinese national. We are still investigating, Khan said. The blocked highway later reopened to traffic and work resumed at the Dasu Dam, which has scores of Chinese and hundreds of Pakistanis working on the project, Khan said. Mob attacks on people accused of blasphemy and even lynching attacks are