A policeman stands guard outside the central jail in Multan where Hafeez was sentenced to death (SS MIRZA)
<p>Lahore (Pakistan) (AFP) – A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced a university professor to death for blasphemy under a law that critics say is often used to target minorities and liberal activists.</p><p>Junaid Hafeez, 33, was arrested in March 2013 for allegedly posting derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed on social media.</p><p>Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in conservative Muslim-majority Pakistan, where laws against it carry a potential death sentence. Even unproven allegations have led to mob lynchings and vigilante murders.</p><p>Hafeez’s sentence was announced in central city of Multan, where he was a university professor at the time of his arrest, and his counsel Asad Jamal slammed the decision as "most unfortunate".</p><p>"We will appeal against this verdict," Jamal told AFP.</p><p>There was tight security in and outside Multan prison where the trial was held.</p><p>After the verdict, prosecution lawyers distributed sweets among their colleagues, who chanted "Allahu-akbar"(God is great) and "Death to blasphemers."</p><p>Government lawyer Azim Chaudhry hailed the decision while fellow lawyer Airaz Ali said it was a "victory of truthfulness and righteousness."</p><p>Rights group Amnesty International said the verdict was "a gross miscarriage of justice".</p><p>"Junaid Hafeez’s death sentence is a gross miscarriage of justice and the verdict… is extremely disappointing and surprising," Amnesty’s Rabia Mehmood said.</p><p>"The government must immediately release him and drop all charges against him," she added. "The authorities must also guarantee his safety and that of his family and legal representatives."</p><p>Hafeez’s lawyer was killed in 2014 after receiving death threats during a hearing.</p><p>About 40 people convicted of blasphemy are on death row in Pakistan, according to a 2018 estimate by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.</p><p>The acquittal last October of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who had spent more than eight years on death row for blasphemy, provoked violent protests across Pakistan, leaving large swathes of the country paralysed.</p><p>Bibi now lives in Canada with her family.</p><p>While many cases involve Muslims accusing Muslims, rights activists have warned that religious minorities — particularly Christians — are often caught in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.