The convicts had claimed in 2011 that they had seen God. PHOTO: FILE
Additional Sessions Judge Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal on Saturday awarded death sentences to two men he found guilty of blasphemy.
According to the prosecution, Riaz Ahmed, 34, and Ijaz Ahmed, 38, residents of Haroonabad, devotees of Chaman Sarkar in Gujrat district, had claimed in 2011 that they had seen God.
Qari Muhammad Ahmed, 27, the complainant, a resident of Haroonabad, said that the convicts had also invited other people to join them in their union with God through Chaman Sarkar.
Malik Ghulam Qasim, the defence lawyer, told The Express Tribune that he would continue to fight against a law that could be easily misused to victimise innocent people.
“I tried my best to defend them,” Qasim said. “We seriously need to reconsider the blasphemy law and its enforcement,” he said.
Judge Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal also fined the convicts Rs100,000 each.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29th, 2013.
COMMENTS (18)
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Our judicial system seriously needs to be overhauled.
Some societies still live in the dark ages. Pakistan is top in that list. I really feel sad for decent civilized Pakistanis who have to bear the burden of these type of laws.
@Saqibtahir: It is not in the dark ages.Sadly it is regressing back in time when other nations are progressing and some questioning whether there is a need for God at all.
.....and on the other hand, our courts + govt. will not execute terrorists who have taken hundreds of innocents lives?
In civilised countries injustice occurs when some choose to flout just laws.
In barbaric countries injustice occurs when unjust laws are enforced.
Examples of unjust laws include the Nuremberg Edicts of Nazi Germany, South Africa’s Apartheid Laws and off course Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
Is this the company that Pakistan wishes to keep?
Pakistan is country still in dark ages.
Whats happening to the reasoning ability of people in Pakistan! Its is such a shameful judgment! This law is purely used to intimidate people (minorities) and settle personal scores!..... Like AAP ( Aam Aadmi Party) stood against corruption in India common people of Pakistan need to rise to the occasion and set the law of the land in order!....I from the sub-continent would advise..but people at large from different countries would simply scoff and laugh at such judgments!
Pakistan seems to be the most godly country in the world. That's why it is rushing to kill anyone suspected of having tarnished Allah and his name.
If I were either Pakistani or Muslim, I would be cringing in shame over having a law claimed to be derived from religious shariah law that executes people for claiming to have seen God as legislating unjust laws is beyond sick. .
Shockingly, sentencing individuals to be executed for trivial reasons on the basis of laws claimed to be derived from religious shariah law does not seem to be a rare occurrence in Pakistan. Just yesterday Express Tribune reported on another story of a similar nature:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/651592/death-sentence-given-in-blasphemy-case/
Belief is what wll make our after life good or worst. these idiots were trying to corupt the beliefs. and to all those who cant swallow this, its Pakistan's Law and dont anyone dare to negate Law. haters are always going to hate. Parhy Likhy Jahil pata nahi kaha sy aa jaty hain comment karny!!!
Pakistan is fast becoming a joke.
Perhaps they were suffering from schizophrenia.
We live in a country where no terrorist gets death penalty for blowing up people and there are death sentences for claim to see God? Totally Sick!
Why our judiciary has become so predictable? Why its decisions always favors the extremists, a qari in this case?
Saying I have seen God is not blasphemy, but to preach it to others and ask others to believe that you are something is blasphemy....
Totally sick to have an obscene law on the statute books that executes people for the ”crime” of claiming “that they had seen God”
How is claiming to see God blasphemy ?
So even spiritual attainment is a crime...., what a country it is, and what goofs we are!