Name: Islamabad ATC sentences 3 to death for sharing blasphemous content on social media
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Islamabad ATC sentences 3 to death for sharing blasphemous content on social media

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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAn Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday sentenced three men to death for sharing blasphemous content on social media. A fourth accused in the same case was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.The ATC also issued perpetual arrest warrants for four accused, absconding in the case.According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which had investigated the case, Rana Nouman Rafaqat and Abdul Waheed operated fake profiles and disseminated blasphemous material on social media, while Nasir Ahmad had uploaded blasphemous videos to a Youtube channel. On Friday, the verdict was announced by Islamabad ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas, who found all three guilty of having committed blasphemy.A fourth individual, Professor Anwaar Ahmed, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs100,000. He had been arrested for disseminating controversial blasphemous views during a lecture at the Islamabad Model College where he was an Urdu teacher.All four convicts were initially arrested in 2017 in connection with the . According to the FIR, registered by the FIA on March 19, “There are several unknown people/groups disseminating/spreading blasphemous material through internet using social media i.e. Facebook, Twitter, websites, etc. through alleged profiles/pages/handles/sites etc… and several others wilfully defiled and outraged religious feelings, belief by using derogatory words/remarks/graphic designs/images/sketches/visual representations in respect of the sacred names.”The four individuals were by the ATC on Sep 12, 2017, when they had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The ATC had also previously dismissed the bail plea of Professor Anwaar Ahmed in the same case.During the proceedings, spread over the last three years, the prosecution produced 19 witnesses against the accused. Meanwhile, the witnesses for the defence were not admitted by the court because they were blood relatives of the accused.This is Pakistan's first case in which persons have been convicted for sharing blasphemous content on social media.Human rights groups say blasphemy laws in Pakistan are often misused to persecute minorities or even against Muslims to settle personal rivalries. Such accusations can end up in lynchings or street vigilantism.Up to 80 people are known to be imprisoned in the country on such charges — half of whom face life in prison or the death penalty — according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementComments (57) ClosedProud of such a tolerant and progressive nation.Your country, your laws, your society.ATC should first go find out the killers of hazaras. Misplaced priorities.Since when did human rights groups become more authentic than our courts that we should listen yo them.Naya Pakistan.Pakistan govt. should abolish capital punishment.So much for religious freedom, promote extremism and cry foul about islamophobia!This is good. Pakistan also punishes people for putting blasphemous content against Christianity and Hindu religion. That shows progress. Or did I read the news wrong?ہے اہل دل کے لیے اب یہ نظم بست و کشاد ,کہ سنگ و خشت مقید ہیں اور سگ آزاد ,Meanwhile politicians, bureaucrats, military generals and judges who plundered and looted peoples money, ruined millions of lives with bad and corrupt management live comfortably and get plea bargains. SubhanAllah.Is this Tolerant Pakistan :(aisi bibi, junaid hafeez, now. and keep advising other countries.Where is freedom of speech?Terrorism court ? How it's possible !!As you sow, so shall you reap.Human rights? What’s that?Shocked a urdu teacher convictedYour laws, your people, sadly, your business, your shame.Such a tolerant society.. isn't it..@peer baba khwajaji,"ATC should first go find out the killers of hazaras"Careful what you wish for!ATC Court and blasphemy..? Scratching my head!No tolerance on sacred .good going@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Dr Salaria as I used to read ur comments, but it's negative always... &amp; Most of the time, it's disgusting..Why is a blasphemy case handled in a terrorism court?Legal tool for keeping minorities in check.Speaking is more punishable than actually beheading Hazaras on live tvSo his relatives were not allowed to appear as a witness? Who is the court to decide of the witness would have spoken the truth or lied without having heard what he had to say. Truly a court reflecting the law it was upholding.Btw anyone know what happened to that person who smashed a few thousand year old statue of buddha they found in KP few months back?Is it the law Quaid dreamt ofDawn should also publish the details of blasphemy and the religions who were subject to blasphemy.What a country.Death sentence for sharing something online and 5 years to Lakhvi for financing terrorists that got 10s or 100s of people dead tells you a lot about naya Pakistan.Why were they putting out blasphemous content for over 3 years.@Sarcasm, 'Proud of such a tolerant and progressive nation.'Very proud of NRC and CAB, India can sell it to all fascist countries with examples, Babri Masjid, IOK and Gujarat.@peer baba khwajaji, out of syllabus. Sorry.Citizens have to abide by law, each crime has its own punishment, blasphemy is a serious crime hurting religious feelings of millions and cannot be taken lightly,Sounds like what happens in 'wild west' cowbelt India where vigilantes stop ads portraying inter faith married couples enjoying the good life, humour and satire based on faith and the big bullies of RSS &amp; other majoritarian self appointed moral and religious police amply supported by the genocide expert from Gujarat - Modi, Shah, etc.I am stunned.Ppl know that punishment for blasphemy in Islam is death sentence. Million dollar question is why ppl r still doing it??@M. Emad, It never should! These do open eyes of all... even yours. Hopefully wouldn't be one of the same?@Mustafa, Agreed 100%...@Mustafa, You are 100% right. Amazing law and priorities.@peer baba khwajaji, boy nothing is important then this.ATC good decision.This is a joke. Where is the freedom of speech?@Surya Kant , There are similar laws in your country as well against Muslims.dont know which way is this country heading,This and PMIK wants to promote tourism.A great leap by Pakistan towards progress.FATF is watching.good workAnd poor HAZARA asking for justice and consolation from IK s Riyasat only.Well-done.Lakhvi gets 5 for terror and these poor souls get death for writing? What is wrong with the country?Naya Pakistan the beacon of hope for humanity.@peer baba khwajaji, they must find you first.Nothing to comment.Why always death sentence , 2-3 years behind the bars would have sufficed. They will never be hanged but would linger in the jail for a long , long time.Just wondering if such extreme punishment is dispensed in any other Islamic country !AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement010203040506070809We need serious and public conversations about how Pakistan will cope with climate change in the future.AdvertisementWe need serious and public conversations about how Pakistan will cope with climate change in the future.Pakistan’s total external debt and liabilities have already surged to 39.7pc of the GDP or $130.2bn.THE ECP’s reasoning for postponing by-elections just days before the first few seats were to be contested has not...The pacers’ early burst put Pakistan on top but midway through the Sri Lanka innings everything started going quickly downhill.There are many precedents for the ‘minus-one formula’ and ‘technical knockout’ in Pakistan’s political history.SOCIAL hyperpolarisation, gradually becoming apparent not just in developing democracies but also in the more ...AFTER over six years since the project was launched, Karachi got its second multicoloured bus rapid transit line to...Advertisement

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAn Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday sentenced three men to death for sharing blasphemous content on social media. A fourth accused in the same case was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.The ATC also issued perpetual arrest warrants for four accused, absconding in the case.According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which had investigated the case, Rana Nouman Rafaqat and Abdul Waheed operated fake profiles and disseminated blasphemous material on social media, while Nasir Ahmad had uploaded blasphemous videos to a Youtube...

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Islamabad ATC sentences 3 to death for sharing blasphemous content on social media

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