[Current Affairs] September 09,2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for FPSC Test Preparation

What’s going on? Asif Pervaiz, who has been in custody since 2013, was recently given the death penalty for allegedly sending blasphemous text messages (i.e. derogatory comments about Prophet Muhammad PBUH).

The details: A court in Lahore sentenced the 37-year-old Christian man to death. He was accused of sending blasphemous text messages to Muhammad Saeed Khokher, a former supervisor at work. Khokher is the complainant in the case. Pervaiz worked under Khokher at a hosiery factory. Pervaiz denied the blasphemy accusations against him, and said Khokher was trying to make him convert to Islam.

Tell me more: Khokher’s lawyer also spoke up to defend his client, and said other Christian employees at the factory haven’t accused Khokher of trying to convert them. Khokher also said ‘not true’ to Pervaiz’s allegations.

Looking ahead: The court rejected Pervaiz’s testimony. The court said Pervaiz will serve a three year prison term for misusing his phone to send the offensive text messages, and then be hanged. He was also fined PKR 50,000 (i.e. USD 300).

The context: According to Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, anyone who insults the Prophet gets the death penalty. There are also other punishments for people who insult Islam, the holy Quran, or certain holy people. As of now, 80 people in Pakistan are in prison for allegedly committing blasphemy.

The bottom line: Human Rights groups claim that people in Pakistan use blasphemy laws to settle personal rivalries against minorities, and even other Muslims. The blasphemy laws are known to disproportionately target minorities in the Muslim majority country.