A Christian man charged with blasphemy was given life sentence by a trial court in Gojra the other day, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to details, Sajjad Masih, a resident of Gojra, was charged under Section 295-C of the country’s blasphemy laws for allegedly sending blasphemous text messages to a local Muslim, Malik Tariq on December 28, 2011. A case [FIR No 820/2011] was subsequently registered against him with the Gojra City Police Station.
On Saturday, Gojra Additional Sessions Judge Mian Shahzad Raza sentenced Sajjad to life imprisonment.
Sajjad’s lawyer Javed Sahotra said that his client had been wrongly implicated in the case by some local Muslims in connivance with the local police.
Sahotra claimed that the police had failed produce any evidence against Sajjad during the trial. “The police investigators did not find the SIM [Subscriber Identity Module] and cell phone from which Sajjad had allegedly sent the blasphemous texts to Malik Tariq. The police also failed to produce any witnesses against the accused,” he said.
Moreover, Sahotra claimed that the case was investigated by junior police officers who were ineligible to probe cases of blasphemy. “Blasphemy cases should be investigated by a SP-rank officer but in this case a sub-inspector had led the investigation,” he said.
Sahotra said that in spite of so many gaps in the investigation and the absence of credible evidence, the trial court judge had shown haste in sentencing Sajjad to life imprisonment.
“We have observed that in blasphemy cases, the trial court judges cave in to pressure from religious groups and convict the accused even if there’s little or no evidence against them,” he said, adding that they will challenge the trial court’s verdict in the Lahore High Court.
“We are confident that the high court will take into account the lacunas in the case investigation and also hold the police investigators responsible for the lapses,” he said.
Efforts were made to contact the Gojra police investigation chief and the case officers but they could not be reached for comment. Sajjad Masih, meanwhile, languishes at the Toba Tek Singh Jail.
Life sentence for blasphemy with no evidence given…Pakistan is a despicable country with a corrupted judicial system and ridiculous laws that favor a few mullahs and discriminate against all minorities..shame on Pakistan..the world is embarrassed by you..
The fact that blasphemy is a crime at all is abject. Al of Pakistan's problems come from the stupid things it believes.
Victory of Islam is hidden in suppressing weak communities .This is for Islamic republic of Pakistan was created .
life imprisonment just for sending a stupid text message… looks like jews living in Nazi Germany were still better off than minorities living in Pakistan.
Calling Godwin's on this one. You lose.
Also, you seriously have no idea what you're talking about. Not to say that minorities have a good life in Pakistan, but as long as they're not put in camps, things could actually be worse.
Any person irrespective of caste or creed if he really has done blasphemy should hanged.
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Any person with any respect for blasphemy should sleep with baboons …
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and who died and made you god?
Because your god is so insecure it needs laws to protect it from scrutiny?
Are you a Doctor or Butcher ? How you got a doctor certificate Mr. Akhtar ? Bought on roadside ? You hang yourself first and tell us how you feel. You and your version of Islam has no value in international community.
and did you doctorate in Stupidities? seems like it
The people are insane. For all the claims of injustice and mistreatment Muslims face overseas, which is unacceptable as well, their own actions are far more atrocious than what they encounter in other countries.
I would really like to know who has given the right to the government to jail people who say something against ones faith? Since when did the people of Pakistan become so holy that they judge everyone,last I checked,the one to judge us is the ONE and only,the ALL MIGHTY GOD.These people need to look at themselves before they go on judging others,people need to worry about themselves,at the end,its you standing infront of GOD,you will have to answer for yourself,thats all.Its about as simply as I can put it so even idiots like the doctor Mohammad Akhtar can understand.Hope this doctor is better in his profession then the way he judges people and writes english.Can you say QUACK QUACK
According to Allah advice in Holy Quran the blasphemer is to be killed.
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But I said all followers of that advice should be shot …
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If it's been written in a book and that book has been called holy by some random people then yes.
Quote exact reference please, to enlighten everyone.
Agreed and so kill all minorities as they may or might have committed b l a s p h e my
As far as I know allah hasn't written any books. People have, in allah's name.
For God sake for once get rid off all minorities in Pakistan, as they have no rights at all .
Allah kay mazeed Azab say daroo.
Wait, wasn't Pakistan just India that get twisted by religion…? So then weren't the people that started Pakistan minorities in their country?
Ppl like Dr. Muhammad Akhtar is the sole reason Pakistan is failing as a nation and will never succeed…please remove Dr. from your name because you are clearly not literate enough to have it
This punishment is not correct. Blasphemy can only occur, if the act is committed by a Believer, not a person who has no faith in Islam.
An excellent point, Malik.
The real Blasphemers are those who indulge in Hoarding, Black Marketing etc even in the holy month of Ramadan, although the Quran and Prophet both have very clearly emphasised that this is a sin, yet for profiteering few Muslims indulge in it. Either this or else even worse they are guilty of Shirq.
If you consider the Quran and the Prophet's(PBUH) emphasis and what is considered a sin,then most Pakistani's are going to hell lol but they sure know how to act like the good practicing muslim,for the show that is.
People who have been taught lies for centuries will need another few centuries to learn humanity
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