Accused had been sent to hospital for treatment of mental illness. PHOTO: EXPRESS
An additional district and sessions judge has summoned the case record of a blasphemy trial after the counsel for the accused sought the reopening of the case, stating that his client was now fit to stand trial.
The trial of Zulfiqar, who allegedly burnt a copy of the Holy Quran, was put on hold on July 6, 2009, after the Punjab Institute of Mental Health reported that he was mentally ill and could not be tried.
Then Additional District and Sessions Judge Mehar Muhammad Yousaf had ordered that Zulfiqar be put in a mental hospital and the trial could resume when he recovered.
Advocate Ehtisham Ali Awan, the counsel for the accused, filed a petition seeking the reopening of the case, upon which the court on Saturday summoned the record for July 22.
According to the FIR registered at Race Course police station, Parks and Horticulture Authority employees Qaisar Mehmood, Shehzad Ali and Abdul Jabbar saw Zulfiqar setting fire to a book on May 11, 2006, on Dharampura Bridge.
According to Mehmood, the complainant in the cases, upon closer inspection they saw that Zulfiqar had set fire to the Holy Quran and had been trying to collect the ashes in a bottle. They then turned him over to police.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2013.
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@Ahmed:
Blasphemy is not a crime against society, irrespective of how wronged or angered individuals within that society feel as a result. It is however a crime against God and his messangers. Being such, let God be the judge.
It is time we muslims stop being so sensitive. This is a stupid law that was created by the British and only stands to defame Islam and muslims everywhere.
@Ahmed:
That the law is blasphemous is perhaps too hard for you too get .. This law has become a noose around the neck of the nation of fools. But you would not understand that ..
A sin on name of Islam for torture nonmuslims.
This Law is a national shame.
Theres nothing wrong with the law. It should and WILL stay. I wonder if the seculars even consider blasphemy a crime?
What a ridiculous law in the 21 st century...are they going to accuse him of witchcraft too?...all of these blasphemy laws should be abolished...they are often abused and do no good for anyone...they defame Islam, they do not protect it...
Probably the judge has no ohte compelling cases to hear and his area of society is in peace and free of all crimes.