KARACHI, May 27 2006: The Saddar police have sealed FIR No. 127/06 that was registered against a Christian named Qamar David in a blasphemy case May 24 night. David was arrested May 24 night after a travel agent named Khursheed Ahmed complained that he (David) had sent blasphemous text messages to several people through his mobile phone. The case was registered under section 295/AC of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

However by May 26, the Saddar Investigations police claimed no knowledge of the FIR when Daily Times questioned an SIO and TIO about its contents. However, Saddar Operations police confirmed May 26 that the FIR has been sealed. The Saddar Operations police and Investigations police both denied May 26 that David was in their custody. Police sources said that David has been remanded into police custody till June 10 for interrogations.

Senior high court advocate Akbar Khan told Daily Times May 26 that if the FIR has been registered only under section 295/A of the PPC then the FIR is non-bailable and non-compoundable. The accused can face imprisonment of up to ten years and a magistrate can try the case. If the FIR is registered under section 295/C of the PPC then the accused can be given the death sentence or 25 years imprisonment. This is then a sessions trial in which it is mandatory that the sessions judge is a Muslim.

TPO Clifton Imran Minhas had told Daily Times Thursday that travel agent Khursheed had received some of these text messages, which he saved in his cell phone. He submitted a complaint to the police with these messages, upon which the police registered a case against David and arrested him. According to the TPO, David sent the blasphemous messages to take revenge for the attacks on churches in different parts of the country.
Source: Daily Times
Date:5/27/2006