CBN247 :
An anti-terrorism court in Mardan,on Tuesday sentenced a man named Shahzad to death in a blasphemy case, alongside multiple prison terms under different sections of law.
Judge Fazal Sattar of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) announced the verdict, ruling that the prosecution had successfully proven the charges against the accused, who had been in custody throughout the trial.
According to the judgment, Shahzad was convicted on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by cleric Maulana Wahab Gul. The complaint alleged that on the night of September 10, 2024, the accused had uploaded derogatory and blasphemous material on his social media accounts, targeting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and other sacred figures.
The court awarded the following punishments:
• Section 295-A PPC: Ten years rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs 100,000, or three months simple imprisonment (SI) in case of default.
• Section 295-C PPC: Death penalty with a fine of Rs 300,000, or six months SI in default. The convict shall be hanged till death.
• Section 7(g) ATA 1997: Five years RI with a fine of Rs 50,000, or three months SI in case of default.
• Section 11 PECA: Three years RI with a fine of Rs 10,000, or one month SI in case of default.
All sentences will run concurrently, while the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was extended to the convict, meaning his time spent in custody will be counted. The death sentence, however, is subject to confirmation by the Peshawar High Court under Section 374 CrPC.
Shahzad was ordered to be shifted to jail with his conviction warrant. The case property will remain preserved until the appeal or revision period is exhausted, the order added.
Past Cases in Mardan Under Blasphemy Laws:
The verdict follows a series of high-profile blasphemy cases in Mardan in recent years:
• Irfan (2023): The Special ATC sentenced Irfan to death after his 2017 arrest for allegedly claiming prophethood through mosque loudspeakers in Guli Bagh. He was also fined Rs 400,000 and given five years imprisonment under two related cases.
• Syed Muhammad Zeeshan (2023): A resident of Mardan, Zeeshan was convicted in Peshawar and sentenced to death for allegedly sharing blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group. He received fines amounting to Rs 1.2 million and prison terms totaling 23 years.
• Mob Lynching of Cleric Nigar Alam (2023): In another case, a local cleric was lynched by a mob near Mardan after political gathering that allegedly he had made blasphemous remarks during a village meeting. Police later registered an FIR under anti-terrorism and penal code sections .Later on a mutual agreement by a local jirga solved the issue and death amount was paid to Nigar family.
