AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A judge in Islamabad, Pakistan, sentenced a man to life in prison for desecration of the Holy Quran.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka sentenced Muhammad Hasim to life imprisonment under Section 295-B (defilement of the Quran).
According to the judgment released on Saturday, police received a complaint via Rescue 15 on May 3, 2023, regarding a person desecrating the Holy Quran in a sewer near the I-10 Service Road.
The individual was identified as M Hasim. Witnesses M Abdul Rehman and Amraiz Khan reported having found pages of the Quran in the sewer multiple times, raising concerns among local residents. They began monitoring the area and, after several days, witnessed Hasim arriving with a bag and throwing pages of the Quran into the sewer. They apprehended him and brought him to a mosque before handing him over to the police.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had purchased the Quran from a bookshop in Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, with footage obtained from the shop. The shop owner testified that Hasim kissed the Quran, placed it on his waist, and left the store.
The judgment noted that, following legal procedures, the predecessor court framed charges against Hasim, to which he pleaded not guilty. The prosecution presented seven witnesses.
Dr Hafiz Sultan Muhammad, an Assistant Professor at PIMS Hospital, Islamabad, conducted a psychiatric evaluation of Hasim. He stated, “On May 5, 2023, the accused was brought to the psychiatric OPD of PIMS Hospital. I conducted a detailed history and mental state examination, concluding that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and declared him of unsound mind. I recommended proper psychiatric treatment.”
However, the judgment emphasized that prosecution witnesses clearly stated that Hasim was not of unsound mind at the time of apprehension. The accused had purchased the Holy Quran for Rs350 and kissed it in the shopkeeper’s presence, indicating his mental soundness. Consequently, the court determined that the prosecution successfully proved its case against Hasim under Section 295-B PPC, sentencing him to life imprisonment.
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