Students Sentenced To Death For Blasphemous WhatsApp Content

In Punjab, Pakistan’s most densely populated region, a student has been sentenced to death by a lower court for sharing blasphemous content through WhatsApp messages.

Federal investigators initiated a case against two suspects, aged 22 and 17, accused of disseminating blasphemous material against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) via the instant messaging service. The additional sessions court found the duo guilty and imposed a death sentence after a complaint was filed under the stringent blasphemy law.

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The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) alleged that the accused shared several clips and pictures in WhatsApp groups. However, the defense argued that the case against them was fabricated.

The case, initially registered in the provincial capital Lahore, was subsequently referred by the Lahore High Court to a local court in Gujranwala for trial.

The plaintiff claimed to have received blasphemous content from various mobile phone numbers. FIA informed the court that, upon examining the plaintiff’s phone, it discovered obscene material had been sent from the devices of the accused.

Blasphemy remains a highly sensitive and contentious topic in Pakistan’s conservative society, carrying the death penalty as stipulated by the law. The legislation mandates capital punishment for those found guilty of insulting Islam, underlining the gravity of such offenses in the country.