Peshawar; November 14, 2023: A fabricated case was registered on September 10, 2020, in Phandu Police Station District Peshawar, under PPC 295-C, against an Ahmadi youth Mr. Abdul Majeed for allegedly committing blasphemy against the Holy Prophet PBUH. He was subsequently arrested on September 14, 2020.
According to details, before the registration of the case, a violent mob attacked the house of the accused. They tried to torch the building along with its residents. The police evacuated him and his family and they temporarily moved to Rawalpindi. Succumbing to the pressure from the opponents, the authorities registered a case and arrested him.
The case continued in Session Court Peshawar. On November 23, 2022, Additional Session Judge Tahir Auragzaib Khan found PPC 295-C inapplicable and converted it to PPC 295-A for allegedly outraging religious feelings. In his verdict, he sentenced the youth to 5 years imprisonment and fined him 500,000 Rupees.
During his incarceration, the national festivals and other concessions in imprisonment resulted in his early release after two years, seven months, and twenty days. After serving his time in prison and payment of the fine, he was released on May 6, 2023. The opponents then filed an appeal against this verdict of the Sessions Court in Peshawar High Court and demanded a re-imposition of PPC 295-C and penalty of death. The accused also filed appeal before peshawer High Court for his acquittal.
On November 14, 2023, a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asad Ullah, rejected the appeals of the opponents and of the accused maintained the verdict of the Sessions Court.
