The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has acquitted S. Ali, a man sentenced to death for blasphemy under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, citing inconsistencies in the evidence and procedural lapses.
S. Ali, son of M, was convicted by a trial court in Hasan Abdal on July 7, 2023, for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and other Islamic figures. He was sentenced to death, fined Rs. 100,000, and given an additional three years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 298-A PPC.
However, a divisional bench of the LHC, comprising Justice Sadiq Mahmud Khurram and Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad, reviewed the case and found multiple flaws in the prosecution’s arguments. The court pointed out that the alleged incident took place on April 10, 2020, at 6:45 am, but was reported to the police nearly nine hours later without any reasonable explanation. Additionally, witness statements were recorded after a significant delay, raising further doubts about the credibility of the case.
The judgment highlighted contradictions in the witnesses’ testimonies, noting that they provided differing versions of the alleged remarks. The court likened the case to a “Chinese Whispers” scenario, where information changed as it was passed from one person to another. It also questioned why the witnesses, despite claiming to have heard blasphemous remarks, made no attempt to apprehend the accused at the scene.
Emphasizing that criminal cases must be decided based on concrete evidence rather than assumptions, the court declared that the prosecution had failed to meet the legal standard required for conviction. It referenced Supreme Court precedents, including Muhammad Mansha vs. The State (2018 SCMR 772), which state that even a single doubt in the prosecution’s case is enough for acquittal.
With these findings, the LHC set aside S. Ali’s conviction and ordered his immediate release, provided he was not required in any other case. Having remained in custody since his arrest in April 2020, he was finally freed following the court’s verdict.