LHC grants bail to woman in blasphemy case

LAHORE: Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday granted bail to a woman accused of desecrating a copy of the Holy Quran.

While announcing his decision, the judge said such charges were difficult to disprove “especially in the charged religious background of the people at large”. He said it was not a disputed fact the woman, Nasim, and her co-accused were Muslims. He observed that no sane Muslim would willingly destroy or defile a copy of the Quran. The court granted the bail to Ms Nasim subject to a bail bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety.

Ms Nasim was arrested on May 26 after an FIR was registered against her with Shadbagh Police under Section 295-B PPC. According to the report, the complainant Muhammad Yaseen had seen Ms Nasim and her sons, Shahid and Zahid, damaging the Holy Quran and throwing the torn pieces of the holy book in other people’s houses.

Her bail application said the allegations were baseless and had been levelled by the complainant to usurp her property after ensuring her arrest. The judge observed that the petitioner was a woman and the provisions of 497 CrPC envisage a concession of bail for females irrespective of the gravity of the offence.

LHC issues notice to higher education secretary: Justice Jamshed Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the Punjab secretary higher education in a writ petition filed by eight associate professors of Kinnaird College.

The petition seeks the promotion of the professors to grade 20. The court directed the secretary to submit his reply on the points raised in the petition within a week. The court also directed Punjab Additional Advocate General Akbar Tarar to ensure compliance of the court’s orders. The petition said the promotions of the professors were due since 2001 but they were overlooked and their juniors were promoted out of turn.

‘SC highest forum of state’: A full bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed the court was the highest forum of state and that it was not subservient to any technicalities while dispensing justice to people. The court made these remarks in a petition by a trading firm against a judgment by the LHC. —Staff Report

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