Lahore Court Hands Death Penalty to Four Men in 2022 Blasphemy Case

LAHORE: A local sessions court on Saturday sentenced four men to death after convicting them in a 2022 blasphemy case initially registered and investigated by the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui Malik delivered the ruling, observing that the state prosecution had successfully established the charges against the accused beyond any reasonable doubt.

Handing down the comprehensive verdict, the court sentenced each convict to capital punishment alongside a fine of Rs500,000 under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). In addition, each individual received life imprisonment under Section 295-B, 10 years of rigorous imprisonment with a Rs100,000 fine under Section 295-A, and three years under Section 298-A. The judge also awarded seven years of rigorous imprisonment and an additional Rs100,000 fine under Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016.

In the written order, the court noted that digital forensic evidence remained sufficient to convict the accused notwithstanding certain procedural defects in the investigation. However, all four convicts were formally acquitted of criminal conspiracy and common intention charges under Sections 120-B and 34 of the PPC, as judicial records established that each accused individual had acted independently rather than through an organized collusion.

The court directed that all awarded prison sentences run concurrently, excluding defaults on fine payments. Under statutory criminal procedure in Pakistan, capital punishment verdicts handed down by trial courts require mandatory review and confirmation by the provincial high court. The legal representatives for the convicts are expected to challenge the sessions court ruling before the Lahore High Court through an appellate petition.