Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Moslem-majority Pakistain, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence.
Syed Muhammad Zeeshan was convicted under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act by the court in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire...
on Friday.
Since the blasphemer is a Syed, I'm guessing he's a Shiite.
"Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in jug has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty," the court order said, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
Zeeshan, who is a resident of the northwest city of Mardan, was also fined 1.2 million rupees ($4,300) and handed a total of 23 years imprisonment.
He has the right to appeal.
Good luck widdat.
The case arose after Muhammad Saeed, a resident of Talagang in Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
province filed an application with the Federal Investigation Agency two years ago accusing Zeeshan of posting blasphemous content in a WhatsApp group, Saeed’s counsel Ibrar Hussain told AFP.
The "FIA had confiscated Zeeshan’s cell-phone and its forensic examination proved him guilty," he said.
While Pakistain’s laws prohibiting blasphemy
...the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity, or sacred objects, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable. Some religions consider it to be a crime. In Pakistain you can commit blasphemy by looking cross-eyed at a Koran...
can carry a potential death sentence
...the barbaric practice of sentencing a murderer to be punished for as long as his/her/its victim is dead..., so far it has never been enforced for the crime.
Although many cases involve Moslems accusing fellow Moslems, rights self-proclaimed geniuss have warned that religious minorities -- particularly Christians -- are often caught in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores.
According to the National Commission of Justice and Peace, a human rights
...not to be confused with
individual rights,mind you...
and legal aid group in Pakistain, 774 Moslems and 760 members of various minority religious groups were accused of blasphemy in the last 20 years.