An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has sentenced a man named Shahzad to death for blasphemy. In his verdict, Judge Fazal Sattar stated that the prosecution had proven the charges against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.

​The case was registered by Maulana Wahab Gul based on an FIR. The FIR alleged that on the night of September 10, 2024, Shahzad shared blasphemous content against the Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), and other holy figures on his social media. The court found this crime to be proven and handed down sentences under various sections:

​Section 295-C: Death penalty and a fine of 300,000 rupees for blasphemy against the Prophet.

​Section 295-A: Ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 rupees for insulting religious sentiments.

​Section 7(z) of the Anti-Terrorism Act: Five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees.

​Section 11 of the Electronic Crimes Act: Three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 rupees.

​The court ordered that all sentences be carried out concurrently and that the accused be hanged. However, the case will be sent to the Peshawar High Court for confirmation of the death sentence.

​This decision follows previous blasphemy cases in Mardan and Peshawar. Blasphemy cases in Pakistan are highly sensitive and lead to strict legal actions. The sentence given to Shahzad is part of this trend, where the legal process has been fully completed.