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ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court has sentenced five men to death for posting “blasphemous content online,” a prosecution lawyer told AFP on Wednesday.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of “online blasphemy” cases, with private vigilante groups bringing charges against hundreds of young individuals for allegedly committing blasphemy.
“All five accused were sentenced to death for spreading blasphemous content against the holy Prophet,” a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, a private group which brought the case to court, told AFP.
“Separately all were sentenced to life imprisonment for Qur'an’s desecration and 10 years imprisonment for hurting religious sentiments,” lawyer Rao Abdur Raheem said.
The five men — one Afghan and four Pakistanis — were sentenced on Tuesday in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbors the capital Islamabad.
The sentences will run concurrently, Raheem said.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in the Muslim-majority country, where even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage and lead to lynchings.
The convicts have a right to appeal in the upper courts.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf on Wednesday discussed expanding the Makkah Route Initiative to more Pakistani cities with Saudi Minister of Hajj Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah while praising the Kingdom for its continued focus on the welfare of Pakistani pilgrims, according to an official statement.
The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers.
“Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf met with Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah,” Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said in a statement. “The meeting included discussions on enhancing facilities for Hajj pilgrims and Umrah visitors, as well as expanding the scope of the Makkah Route Initiative to other cities in Pakistan.”

The Pakistani minister said pilgrims from his country had greatly benefited from the special attention given by the Saudi authorities.
Dr. Al-Rabiah congratulated Sardar Yousaf on assuming charge of the religious affairs ministry and reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to serving pilgrims.
“It is an honor to welcome large numbers of pilgrims from Pakistan each year,” he said, adding that “serving Hajj and Umrah pilgrims remains one of the Saudi government’s top priorities.”
The ministers also discussed issues related to the registration process for Pakistani pilgrims.
Dr. Al-Rabiah assured the concerns of Pakistani Hajj applicants would be addressed on a priority basis, adding the Saudi authorities had introduced several new measures this year to improve services for pilgrims.