Additional Sessions Judge Kashif Qayyum awarded death penalty and imposed a fine of Rs 600,000 on a former university lecturer on blasphemy charges.

According to the prosecution, Junaid Hafeez son of Hafeez Nasir, resident of Mithan Press Circular Rajanpur, had uploaded blasphemous content on social media. The court awarded him death penalty under section 295-C of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and imposed a fine Rs 500,000. In case of default, the convict would undergo imprisonment for six months.

Police had arrested Junaid Hafeez in March 2013 on blasphemy charges. The convicted Junaid Hafeez was a teacher in English Department of Bahauddin Zakariya University.

The court also awarded 10-year imprisonment and a fine Rs 100,000 under section 295-A PPC. In case of default, the convict would undergo further imprisonment for six months. Similarly, under section 295-B, the outlaw was awarded life imprisonment.

The Judge in order stated "all the sentences shall run consecutively and the accused would not be entitled to the benefit of section 382-B, Cr.PC because in case of blasphemer, the court has got no circumstances for taking lenient view and it is also not permitted in Islam". The trial against Junaid Hafeez had begun in 2014.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2019