Pakistan Court Jails Two Ahmadis for Hate Speech, Allegedly Hurting Religious Sentiments
A Lahore court hands down jail terms over alleged social media posts, hate speech and material accused of offending religious sentiments.
LAHORE, Oct 25: A court in Pakistan has sentenced two members of the minority Ahmadi community to prison in a case involving alleged hate speech, blasphemous content and material said to have hurt religious sentiments on social media, a court official said on Sunday.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Sheraz Ahmad and Zaheer Ahmad in Punjab province in 2019 over allegations that they had circulated objectionable religious content through online platforms.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Nusrat Ali Siddiqui Malik on Saturday awarded Sheraz Ahmad seven years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes AQct (PECA), which deals with hate speech, the official said.
Sheraz was also sentenced to seven years in prison under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), relating to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings. He received an additional three year sentence under Section 298-C of the PPC.
The court directed that all three sentences imposed on Sheraz Ahmad would run concurrently.
In the same case, Zaheer Ahmad was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, the official added.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused allegedly used a WhatsApp group to circulate material described as blasphemous. They were also accused of sharing banned books and other prohibited content.
The case comes amid continued concerns raised by rights organisations over the treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan. Advocacy groups have repeatedly highlighted allegations of discrimination, restrictions on religious expression and threats to the safety of minority communities.
