LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday sentenced a Shia man to death for posting derogatory remarks against wives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on social media in 2016.
The prosecutor, Shafiq Chaudhry said that 30-year-old Taimore Raza was sentenced to death by ATC Judge Shabbir Ahmed.
Reportedly, Raza hails from Lahore and was arrested in Bahawalpur after a complaint against him was lodged with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Multan.
Raza had allegedly posted objectionable remarks against the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) and other personalities revered as sacred in Sunni Islam but often criticised in Shia Islam on his Facebook account.
Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan, the one that has caused a number of violent deaths including that of founder of this paper and slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer Shaheed.
Only last month, the federal interior ministry reiterated its resolve to crackdown against social media posts critical of Islam and state institutions.
Another blasphemy related death that had sparked national outrage was that of Mardan university student Mashal Khan who the investigation has now found was falsely accused of blasphemy on social media and was lynched to death after being shot at multiple times.
Following Mashal’s brutal killing, lawmakers from both the government and opposition had called for steps to curb abuse of the blasphemy law.
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had last month called blasphemy worst form of terrorism. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also in March ordered crackdown against blasphemy on social media and prosecution of posters.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reports at least 40 people are on death row or serving life sentences after being convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan.
According to an Al Jazeera report, at least 69 people accused of blasphemy have been killed by vigilantes and mobs without any trial since 1990.
