Pakistan: Woman Principal Gets Death Sentence For Blasphemy

Pakistan woman death sentence: The principal of a private school in Lahore, Pakistan was sentenced to death for allegedly committing blasphemy by making remarks against Prophet Muhammad, reports said Tuesday. The case dates to 2013 when the woman was booked by police under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) after a cleric raised a complaint.

Identified as one Salma Tanveer, the principal allegedly claimed she was the Prophet, challenging the position of the supreme Islamic leader. As per Pakistan's Samaa TV, cleric Qari Iftikhar Ahmad Raza claimed Tanveer published and handed out pamphlets derogatory to Prophet Muhammad.

The court that passed her death sentence judgment also imposed a fine of $29 on Tanveer.

Pakistan Woman Death Sentence For Alleged Derogatory Religious Remarks

Pakistan is notorious for its stringent blasphemy law that was introduced during British rule in the Indian subcontinent. It exists, controversially, under various sections of the PPC. According to the US Commission for International Religious Freedom in a 2020 report, there are 80 convicts on death row in Pakistan, charged under the blasphemy law.

Section 295C, under which Tanveer was booked, relates to punishment for defiling the name of Prophet Muhammad in any way.

For Tanveer, her defence reportedly pleaded against her prosecution stating she "lost her mental balance." Subsequent medical examinations reportedly showed she suffered from Schizoaffecctive Disorder, a mental health condition that includes symptoms of schizophrenia, like hallucinations.

In 2019, she was declared fit to stand on trial, which concluded this past Monday. The lower court that served her the death sentence observed her condition "falls short of legal insanity."

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