SC clears man of blasphemy charge due to lack of evidence

Muhammad Mansha was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court

ISLAMABAD: A man, convicted of blasphemy by a lower court, has been acquitted by the Supreme Court after he had spent nine years in imprisonment.

A two-judge bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qazi Faez Isa, on Saturday took up the appeal from Muhammad Mansha who was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court, and the punishment was upheld by a high court.

Mansha belongs to district Bahawalnagar. During the hearing, Justice Khan observed that the country was still witnessing fallouts of the extremism that flourished during Gen Ziaul Haq’s regime.

“The person who levels false allegation of blasphemy commits blasphemy himself,” he remarked.

During the hearing, the prosecutor submitted that the convict’s cousin had alleged that Mansha committed blasphemy. However, the bench acquitted Mansha due to non-availability of solid evidences.