In a recent development, an additional district and sessions judge delivered a verdict on Friday, sentencing a 22-year-old individual to death for blasphemy while concurrently sending another accused to a life term in the same case.
The charges against the two suspects stemmed from their alleged sharing of blasphemous material through the messaging platform WhatsApp, leading to their booking by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the subsequent initiation of a case in Lahore.
Interestingly, the Lahore High Court decided to refer the case to a local court in Gujranwala for trial, where the severe judgments were meted out. Notably, the individual handed a life sentence is a 17-year-old, adding a layer of complexity and gravity to the legal proceedings.
The plaintiff, who brought forth the blasphemy allegations, claimed to have received offensive videos and photos from three distinct mobile phone numbers. The FIA conducted an examination of the plaintiff’s phone, confirming the transmission of what they deemed “obscene material.”
Amidst the legal proceedings, defense lawyers vigorously argued that the two accused students had become ensnared in what they termed a “false case.” This assertion raises questions about the evidentiary basis of the charges and the fairness of the trial process.
