Blasphemy: Three Ahmadis awarded death penalty

Convicts also slapped with Rs200,000 fine each by a Sheikhupura court

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge on Thursday awarded death sentence to three men, belonging to the Ahmadiyya community, after finding them guilty of committing blasphemy against Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Convicts Muhammad Ehsan, Ghulam Ahmed and Mubashar Ahmed were also fined Rs200,000 each. A fourth accused in the case, Khalil Ahmed, was earlier murdered in police lockup.

The accused were booked by the Sharaqpur Sharif police on the complaint of Syed Raiz Shah on May 13, 2014. The following day, accused Khalil Ahmed was gunned down in the police lockup.



On June 28, 2014 a joint investigation team (JIT), comprising senior police officers, was constituted under the supervision of the Sheikhupura district police officer. The JIT recommended that the accused men be tried in court.

During the trial, the counsel for the accused contended that the first information report (FIR) against his clients was registered under public pressure and that the accused had nothing to do with the case.

On the other hand, the complainant’s counsel contended before the court that the accused had committed an offence of a serious nature and that there was a lot of evidence on record which established the charges against them.

Earlier this week, MNA Capt (retd) Safdar, the son-in-law of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif launched a rant against the community in the National Assembly and called for a ban on hiring them in the armed forces and other important institutions of the country.