A Pakistani court has sentenced a woman to death for making objectionable remarks about the Prophet of Islam. A Christian woman was sentenced to death in the case on Thursday. A case was registered against Shaugata Kalan under the blasphemy law and she was found guilty. She was accused of sharing derogatory content about the Prophet of Islam in a WhatsApp group in September 2020.
According to the agency, after a hearing, Islamabad special court judge Afzal Mazurka found the woman guilty under Section 295C of Pakistan’s Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty. The court also fined Shaugaat Rs 300,000.
Choice of appeal to the High Court
The court also sentenced the woman to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under Section 11 of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The convict has the right to appeal to the high court within 30 days of the verdict, the judge said in his order.
Justice Afzal Mazurka said, “The sentence will not be carried out until the high court approves the decision.” Shawgat is the second Christian woman to be sentenced to death for insulting the Prophet and Islam.
Also read: Pakistan erupts in anger over blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad, police shoots and kills blasphemy accused.
Similar cases have happened before
Previously, Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy, was sentenced to eight years in prison, but a bench headed by former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa acquitted her in October 2018.
Previously, a woman named Asiya Bibi was sentenced to death for blasphemy. After being imprisoned for eight years, in October 2018, a judge headed by Chief Justice Asif Sai of the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared him not guilty. After being acquitted in the case, Bibi went to Canada with her family.
When did Pakistan’s blasphemy law come into effect?
The blasphemy laws were introduced by former military ruler Ziaul Haq in the 1980s. People arrested on such charges often become targets of extremists.
Also read: Firozpur accused of blasphemy, severely beaten by mob, dies in hospital
How many people have been charged so far?
According to the Center for Social Justice, a think tank, about 3,000 people have been charged since 1987. The CJS said at least seven people accused of blasphemy have been killed by individuals or mobs across Pakistan since January. A total of 94 people accused of blasphemy have been killed in mob attacks between 1994 and 2023.
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