A Muslim woman was sentenced to death by a Rawalpindi court on Wednesday after being convicted of sending blasphemous content via WhatsApp. While High Court Multan Bench denied the bail plea of Dr. Abdul Mas'ab who is behind bar for a year allegedly desecration of holy Quran.
The 26-year-old woman was arrested in May 2020 and charged with posting “blasphemous material” as her WhatsApp status, according to a summary issued by a sessions court. When a friend urged her to change it, she instead forwarded the material to him, it said.
The court ordered that the woman be “hanged by her neck till she is dead” along with a 20-year jail sentence and a fine of Rs200,000.
Up to 80 people are known to be jailed in Pakistan on blasphemy charges — half of whom face life in prison or the death penalty — according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.While many cases involve Muslims accusing fellow Muslims, rights activists have warned that religious minorities — particularly Christians — are often caught in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores.
In December, a Sri Lankan factory manager working in Sialkot was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob after being accused of blasphemy.
Lahore High Court Multan Bench's Judge Justice Syed Shahbaz Rizvi refused to grant post-arrest bail to blasphemy accused Abdul Mas'ab on Wednesday.Earlier his bail plea was rejected by Session Court Multan. Syed Athar Hassan Bukhari,a counsel of the accused contended that Police had registered a case under blasphemy law against his client without any investigation and sufficient evidence. Police did not seek permission from high-ups for registration of FIR. He further said that it was an outcome of personal enmity, jealousy and unfairness.