SC acquits blasphemy accused jailed for over two decades

Hassan was sentenced to death on charges of writing blasphemous letters to a lawyer in 1998

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted a blasphemy accused who was earlier sentenced to death by the trial and high courts.

The apex court, in its judgment, observed that the prosecution failed to prove the case against the accused.

Wajeehul Hassan was accused by a lawyer, Advocate Ismail Qureshi, in 1998 of writing blasphemous letters to him.

As per the prosecution, the letters were sent to Qureshi after the acceptance of his request to the Federal Shariah Court to change the punishment for blasphemy from life imprisonment to the death sentence.

Aasia Bibi acquitted by Supreme Court

During the hearing, Justice Sajjad Shah observed that the prosecution had failed to prove that the letters were written by Hassan and dismissed the case.

The Supreme Court last year acquitted Aasia Bibi – a Christian woman accused of blasphemy in 2010 and sentenced to death – and set aside an earlier judgment passed by a lower court.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar announced the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict was set aside and directed authorities to release Aasia Bibi from prison.

The 51-year-old Christian woman was on the death row since November 2010 after she was convicted on charges of committing blasphemy during an argument with two Muslim women in Sheikhupura.