Behind bars: ‘Mentally ill’ suspect awaiting justice for 3 years

Waleeha was arrested on March 3, 2012 after she was accused of blasphemy

LAHORE: A 24-year-old ‘mentally ill’ woman has been languishing in jail for more than three years after being accused of blasphemy by a neighbour.

Waleeha Irfat was arrested on March 3, 2012, after registration of an FIR with Factory Area police. On August 29, 2013, a seven-member medical board, chaired by the health director general, recommended: “She is found to be suffering from mood disorder (impulsive personality traits). The board is of the opinion that she needs drug treatment and psychotherapy”. The board had been formed on the directions of the court.

The Woman Medical Officer of the Lahore Central Jail submitted a letter before Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on August 6, 2015. She confirmed that her mental condition had not improved over two years.

“She is suffering from mood disorder (impulsive personality traits) and is on regular medication and follow-up by psychiatrists from the Punjab Institute of Mental Health, Lahore,” she said. Waleeha had attempted suicide a few months ago. Her bail application was taken up by the LHC on August 10. She had filed for bail on medical grounds.

Appearing before the court on behalf of the complainant, Advocate Asma Jahangir submitted that the bail application had been pending for four months.

“She has been behind bars for more than three years. The FIR was registered to blackmail and harass her due to her previous enmity with one of the witnesses. One of the prosecution witnesses and the complainant admitted before the trial court that they had not seen her commit blasphemy,” she said.

In her bail petition, she has submitted that her life was in danger in the jail as she feared an attack by fellow inmates. “There has been no progress in my trial. Under circumstances, the court is requested to grant me bail,” she said.

Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry appeared on behalf of the complainant. He was accompanied by a group of religious clerics. He opposed the bail application, saying that the accused herself was delaying the trial. “She has changed 10 lawyers. This, too, has delayed the trial,” he said.

Asma Jahangir said that no lawyer was ready to take her case due to the nature of allegations against her.

Asma requested the court to either accept the bail application or to dismiss it. “The bail petition has been pending for four months,” she said. After hearing the arguments, the judge reserved his order. The next day, the court relisted the case for August 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2015.