The person was accused of posting blasphemous messages on a Whatsapp group. (Representational)

Peshawar, Pakistan:

An anti-terrorism courtroom in northwest Pakistan has convicted and sentenced a Muslim man to loss of life after he was accused of posting blasphemous content material in a WhatsApp group.

Blasphemy is a vastly delicate challenge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, the place even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence.

Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was convicted below the Prevention of Digital Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act by the courtroom in Peshawar on Friday.

“Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being discovered responsible”, the courtroom order mentioned, a duplicate of which was obtained by AFP.

Zeeshan, who’s a resident of the northwest metropolis of Mardan, was additionally fined 1.2 million rupees ($4,300) and handed a complete of 23 years imprisonment.

He has the correct to enchantment.

The case arose after Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Talagang in Punjab province filed an utility with the Federal Investigation Company two years in the past accusing Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content material in a WhatsApp group, Saeed’s counsel Ibrar Hussain informed AFP.

The “FIA had confiscated Zeeshan’s cell-phone and its forensic examination proved him responsible”, he mentioned.

Whereas Pakistan’s legal guidelines prohibiting blasphemy can carry a possible loss of life sentence, to this point it has by no means been enforced for the crime.

Though many circumstances contain Muslims accusing fellow Muslims, rights activists have warned that non secular minorities — significantly Christians — are sometimes caught within the crossfire, with blasphemy expenses used to settle private scores.

In keeping with the Nationwide Fee of Justice and Peace, a human rights and authorized assist group in Pakistan, 774 Muslims and 760 members of varied minority non secular teams had been accused of blasphemy within the final 20 years.

(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)