Islamabad: A Pakistani court on Thursday sentenced a Christian woman to death in a blasphemy case. She is the second Christian woman to be sentenced to death under the strict blasphemy law. In September 2020, a blasphemy case was registered against Shaugata Karan, accused of sharing objectionable material about Prophet Muhammad on a WhatsApp group. The court also said that she can file an appeal against this decision in the higher court within 30 days. Let us tell you that the blasphemy law in Pakistan is very strict and many times serious cases of its misuse have come to light.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh
According to reports, after the hearing, Judge Afzal Majuka of a special court in Islamabad found Karen guilty under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on Karen. Apart from this, the court sentenced the woman to 7 years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh under Section 11 of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The judge said in a brief order that the convict has the right to file an appeal in the High Court against the verdict within 30 days.
Aasiya Bibi was in jail for 8 years
Judge Majuka said that the sentence will be executed only after the decision of the High Court. Karen is the second Christian woman to be sentenced to death for insulting Prophet Mohammad and Islam. Earlier, a Christian woman named Asia Bibi was sentenced to death in a blasphemy case and she remained in jail for 8 years. But a bench headed by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa acquitted her in October 2018. After being acquitted, Bibi went to Canada with her family. (Language)
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