ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday charge sheeted four suspects for allegedly uploading blasphemous content on social media.

ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand indicted the suspects, who pleaded not guilty.

Subsequently, the court directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce evidence against them and adjourned proceedings until Sept 25.

The FIA has so far arrested four suspects in the matter, all of whom are in jail on judicial remand for their alleged involvement in the publishing of blasphemous content on social media.

The suspects were arrested on suspicion of sharing and spreading blasphemous content via social media. The ATC has already dismissed the bail plea of one of the suspects, a college professor, in the same case.

Earlier, the IHC heard a petition filed against the uploading of sacrilegious material targeting revered personalities on social media.

The suspects were arrested when the petition was pending before Islamabad High Court Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.

In his order, Justice Siddiqui had directed the federal government to amend the law in order to punish those who leveled false blasphemy accusations under the same law.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2017

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