A district and sessions court in Karachi sentenced a man to life imprisonment on Thursday for desecrating the Holy Quran.
The judgement was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge Shahid Ali Memon. The court sentenced the accused, Ali Haider, to life imprisonment after the prosecution successfully proved the charges against him.
On June 4, 2021, Haider was apprehended in Zia Colony, Karachi, while committing the act of desecration. The prosecution stated that Haider was found desecrating the holy book after Fajr prayers. A case was registered against him at Korangi Police Station.
According to Pakistani law, insulting the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) can be punishable by death, while desecrating the Quran can lead to a life sentence.
Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code states, “Whoever wilfully defiles, damages, or desecrates a copy of the Holy Qur’an or any extract therefrom, or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose, shall be punishable with imprisonment for life.”
In June, a mob lynched a man over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in the Madyan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district, resulting in eight injuries.
Last year, the Senate passed a bill increasing the punishment for using derogatory remarks against revered personalities — including the Holy Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) family, wives, companions, and the four caliphs — from three years to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment.
