Online ‘blasphemy’ case: ATC records complainant, witnesses’ statements

• The petitioner is a member of the Shuhada Foundation, formed after the 2007 Lal Masjid operation 

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Monday recorded the statements of the witnesses in a case filed over posting and sharing of blasphemous content on social media websites.

Over the course, petitioner Ehtesham Ahmed, and two witnesses, Roman Ahmed and Ammar Yasir, gave their statements before the ATC Judge, Shahrukh Arjumand, against the four suspects charged in the case.

However, due to the absence of a counsel for an accused, cross-examination could not be completed; so the court directed the counsel to question the complainant and the witnesses on Jan 9 (Tuesday).

The petitioner, Ehtesham Ahmed, is a member of the Shuhada Foundation of Pakistan which was formed after the 2007 military operation at Lal Masjid, Islamabad.

In the previous hearing, the court had issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Ehtesham and witnesses over their failure to appear before the court.

Earlier, the ATC had dismissed bail plea of one of the suspects, said to be a college professor.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had earlier submitted a charge-sheet against the four suspects.

The FIA had registered an FIR No. 07/2017 under sections 295-A, 295-B, 295-C, 298, 298-A, 298-B, 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Sec 11 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, (PECA), 2016, and Sections 6(f), 7(h), 8 & 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, ‪on March 19.