SAHIWAL: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced two blasphemy convicts to death on Monday, and also awarded them 22 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 550,000 each.

The case was registered on the complaint of a local by the Kameer Police Station in Sahiwal district. The FIR stated that the “alleged incident of blasphemy occurred on July 17, 2024, but the case was registered four months later, supported by testimonies from two local witnesses”.

The court found the two individuals guilty of violating Sections 295-A and 295-C, sections 7/9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, and Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In his detailed verdict, the judge ruled that the convicts were separately sentenced to death and fined Rs500,000 each under Section 295-C, 10-year imprisonment under Section 295-A, seven years under Peca 2016, and five years along with a fine of Rs50,000 under ATA 1997.

A senior police official of Sahiwal district told Dawn that “a total of 22 blasphemy-related cases were registered in Sahiwal district in 2025”.

This verdict marks one of the most severe punishments handed down by the court under blasphemy-related provisions during the current year.

Earlier in March, a Rawalpindi court had sentenced five men accused of blasphemy to death, life imprisonment and a total of 100 years in prison.

The same court had also sentenced four men to death for posting blasphemous content online in February.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025