Pakistan Man Faces Blasphemy Charges Over Facebook Posts

A 25-year-old man in Chichawatni, Pakistan, is facing blasphemy charges for alleged offensive Facebook posts about Islam. The police have taken his family into custody, assuring that he will be apprehended soon. Pakistan's blasphemy laws often face international criticism for misuse.

The Pakistan Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against a 25-year-old man from Chichawatni on charges of blasphemy related to his Facebook posts. The complaint was lodged by Shamsul Hasan, an assistant sub-inspector at the Saddar Police Station in Chichawatni, late on Saturday night. The suspect, who lives in Chak 107/12-L, previously worked for the Senate in Islamabad but was dismissed from his position, Dawn reported.

The FIR, registered under Section 295(C) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, accuses the suspect of posting hate material against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The document cites four specific posts that included derogatory remarks about revered Islamic figures. According to reports, ASIs Shams and Imran Hyder, along with Constable Muddasir Jahangir and driver Wakeel Ahmed, were on a routine patrol near the Lower Bari Doab Canal in Chak 107/12-L when they discovered the suspect's Facebook account containing the offensive posts.

The police have taken screenshots of these posts and stored them on a USB drive. Although they were unable to arrest the suspect at that time, ASP Maazur Rehman assured that an apprehension would occur shortly, reported Dawn. The suspect, who is married with three children, had initially taken the Senate job following his father's death, who had also worked there as a clerk. Currently, he is evading capture and was not present in the village when the case was filed.

DPO Faisal Shahzad stated that the police have taken the suspect's family into custody and relocated them to a secure location. He confirmed that seven blasphemy cases have been registered in district Sahiwal this year alone. Pakistan's blasphemy laws have often drawn criticism from international human rights organizations for being excessively broad and frequently misused, leading to both mob violence and extrajudicial killings.

Despite these criticisms, the Pakistani government has yet to make significant strides toward reforming or repealing these laws, which many view as instruments of oppression rather than justice. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)