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LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court sentenced a man to 13 years in prison on Thursday for allegedly posting religiously offensive material on his Facebook page, lawyers in the case said.
Rizwan Haider, 25, was convicted in an ATC of three charges including promoting sectarian hatred over one of his Facebook posts.
This case was registered against Rizwan in January, Adeel Chattah, public prosecutor in the case, told AFP.
He was also fined Rs0.25 million, Chattah said, adding that he denied the charges and has the right to appeal.
His lawyer dismissed the accusations.
“He only liked it and did not post it on the page,” Shameem Zaidi said.
Pakistan tightened its hate crime laws as part of a campaign to combat extremism after a Taliban attack at a school in Peshawar in December 2014 killed 153 people, mostly children.
Authorities have arrested and sentenced several religious clerics for hate speech in recent months.
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Comments (53) Closed
Mar 03, 2016 10:17pm
Although the punishment sounds severe, but it has to discourage hate against other religions, on any forum.
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Mar 03, 2016 10:19pm
Freedom of expression? People hurl abuses over the internet, and this guy is being arrested for some silly comments and likes. This level of intolerance is unprecedented.
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Mar 03, 2016 10:22pm
If thats true than its a very good example by ATC....hope ATC not hiding anything
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Mar 03, 2016 10:37pm
This is a very dangerous trend. Please revisit social media laws (if there are any)
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Mar 03, 2016 11:04pm
Good work NS govt. but punishment looks little hard. 13 years is almost equal punishment for severe crime like killing etc.
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Mar 03, 2016 11:07pm
Great. The law must be applied to all irrespective of sectarian association.
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Mar 03, 2016 11:16pm
Sectarian hate and and hate against minorities is a real menace. If authorities have arrested and sentenced several religious clerics for hate speech then its a good start.
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Mar 03, 2016 11:23pm
Action should be against whoever spread hate..!
However I encourage this court decision.
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Mar 04, 2016 12:46am
What did he liked or posted? One would hope news will cover that. The story is incomplete.
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Mar 04, 2016 12:54am
Shia or Sunni all the biggest must be punished. I am even oppose to ethnic jokes.we must set an examples for our kids and young people .
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Mar 04, 2016 12:54am
Right thing to do. People are getting radicalized by getting exposed to hate speech. Human rights groups should tell how to tackle terrorism when all agree that the starting point is hate speech and hate literature.
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Mar 04, 2016 01:19am
Good precedent by the government.These hate preachers should be locked where they belong.Enough of the extremist ideologies.
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Mar 04, 2016 01:32am
What about molana Abdul Aziz openly spreading hate.
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Mar 04, 2016 01:46am
Much appreciated decision / move
This will keep ppl refrained from posting hatred material on social media no matter shia or sunni
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Mar 04, 2016 01:54am
I am all in favor of sentencing whoever preaches hate
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Mar 04, 2016 02:33am
Where do we report such people? I sent a bunch of emails to PTA, Ministry of IT but no response
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Mar 04, 2016 03:31am
I am a shia and I believe no one should be allowed to propagate hate speech. Shia or Sunni, if facts are so, must be punished for hate speech. We have had enough of this crap in our country and it must be stopped.
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Mar 04, 2016 03:39am
Liking something on Facebook is not spreading hate. Meanwhile, people accused of sedition, murder, corruption,rape, honor killings are living glorious lives and will never go to jail!!!
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Mar 04, 2016 04:02am
I'm shia but I do agree with the verdict. Hate speech regardless against who must be punished. We're the followers of Rahmat-ul-Alameen for the universe, not for just muslims.
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Mar 04, 2016 05:06am
What did he say?
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Mar 04, 2016 05:38am
so when are our law enforcement agencies sending Abdul aziz behind bars for his hate speeches?
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Mar 04, 2016 06:10am
Hate speech or hate crime must be avoided. In some countries
there are even more imprisonment than 13 years. Some clerics are
responsible for poisoning the minds of people. Ministry of religious affairs must show programmes on TV,to educate people
to think positive and not to propagate hate speeches or hate material .
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Mar 04, 2016 06:36am
Pakistan is becoming more like the Arab countries every day there is less and less freedom to express difference of opinion especially in the realm of religion. The Pakistani State is becoming a police state by regulating social media and imprisoning someone for 13 years for simply "liking" a post. All intellectual and freedom loving people such as myself are leaving Pakistan for this very reason. Your country has no future.
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Mar 04, 2016 06:36am
I'm for freedom of speech not matter how bigoted or abhorrent it may be, if it doesn't pose public danger... Not sure what his post contained; I hope this was really serious other wise we are headed on a very slippery slope.
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Mar 04, 2016 08:18am
Then also punish lal masjid khateeb for his hate speech that he delivers in front of all Pakistan. Selective application of law is a joke
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Mar 04, 2016 08:21am
Whether Shia or Sunni, anyone who is found fanning religious hatred must be taken to task. A good example set by ATC.
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Mar 04, 2016 08:26am
sectarianism has to be stopped at any cost because it's a cancer..We have to be united for our survival
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Mar 04, 2016 08:38am
Does not matter if he is shia or sunni...spreading hatred needs to be punished severely in Pakistan.
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Mar 04, 2016 09:08am
Don't spare anyone and clean the society who so ever commit the crime, either Sunni or Shia bring them in the court of law enough is enough.
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Mar 04, 2016 09:17am
Punish whosoever does it
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Mar 04, 2016 09:30am
Unconscionable judgment. The punishment is disproportionately high.
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Mar 04, 2016 10:10am
There r very tough cyber crime laws in Pak n ppl dnt knw n start liking n sharing offensive material....plz make efforts to educate masses to use social media sensibly
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Mar 04, 2016 10:18am
Only a few hateful souls been causing a greater damage to the sectarian, religious, ethnic and at large the National unity and harmony. A special law should be passed to prosecute such elements as terrorists. Any word written or spoken against any sect, religion or ethnicity or which may hurt the religious sentiments of others should be taken as a terrorist action because ultimately it causes violence and mayhem.
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Mar 04, 2016 10:25am
Really!!!!! for clicking like to a page you punish that poor guy to 13 years and murders get away with nothing. I don't think any one can save this country.
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Mar 04, 2016 10:54am
Well done court. We need to make bold decisions if we want to live in peace.
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Mar 04, 2016 11:03am
What about the so called religious wannabes that we encounter everyday promoting sectarianism on TV channels?.
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Mar 04, 2016 11:15am
mate, I have seen hell lot of crap on facebook; - anyone who promotes hate on facebook / any media, should be punished - regardless of faith or school of thought;
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Mar 04, 2016 11:54am
Does the account belong to the Shiite man? Anyone can make a fake account on a social website and post offensive statements and get the person trapped.
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Mar 04, 2016 12:00pm
good job. any one who spreads hatred shia or any one must be punishedso that peace remains
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Mar 04, 2016 12:25pm
Sending common man behind the bars is easy compare to the powerful ones. Justice at its best.
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Mar 04, 2016 12:44pm
13 years is way too much punishment for any hate speech I can imagine. Jail should be reserved for people who actually organize hate groups and action beyond words. Simple, thoughtless offensive speech
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Mar 04, 2016 01:23pm
If the purpose of this harsh punishment is to deter others then I request the court to award exemplary punishments to the corrupt politicians bureaucrats to deter others!
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Mar 04, 2016 01:24pm
I see regular inflow of posts disseminating sectarianism, and nothing happens. How do people get singled out? How to report them?
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Mar 04, 2016 01:50pm
ridiculous
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Mar 04, 2016 02:25pm
The punishment seems too harsh, but it step in the right direction.
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Mar 04, 2016 02:38pm
This News should be made headline in every media so that every same person should know the consequences.
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Mar 04, 2016 03:11pm
Bring the culprits to justice so that the HATE is not preached. Punishing a mediocre will not benefit.
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Mar 04, 2016 03:20pm
@Sunil There is a thing in IT known as IP and source Location tracking. Please read on cyber forensics subject for more information.
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Mar 04, 2016 03:23pm
@QURESHI indeed. U re right.
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Mar 04, 2016 03:57pm
His lawyer says: “He only liked it and did not post it on the page,” So, 13 years just for pressing the "like" button?
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Mar 04, 2016 04:11pm
Anyone saying that their religion or sect is better than others should also be put in jail for a long time. This is the kind of hatred we are allowing happily to be spread. Let us learn to respect all religions and sects and give them the same respect that we would like others to have for our own religion or sect. That will be a good start.
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Mar 04, 2016 04:26pm
@Philosopher (from Japan) : do you really know what crime he has exactly committed?
if yes, then please enlighten us.
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Mar 04, 2016 10:56pm
there should be no goverment interference on the net and social media.such kind of laws can be easily manipulated by the govt.and eventully be used to gag political opinion.
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