The Supreme Court expressed its disappointment over the criticism it received for its recent judgement to release a person accused of distributing prohibited religious literature. The court clarified that the impression that it had denied the Second Amendment or called for the elimination of relevant sections for crimes against religion in the country’s legal codes was completely wrong. The court issued a press release to address the misunderstandings and emphasized that the accused did not merit the sections charged. The court also highlighted that the accused had already served a year in jail, and Islamic rulings, constitutional sections, and principles of law and justice were considered in his release on bail. The press release stated that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa ensured that the court’s interpretation of the law aligned with Islamic sources of law and the country’s Constitution. The court also emphasized that legal verdicts should be criticized within reason and that orchestrated campaigns in the name of criticism, without adopting the constitutional path of review, were unfortunate.
Caretaker Information Minister, Murtaza Solangi, warned of “strict state” action against those using social media platforms to incite violence. He emphasized that social media companies needed to control propaganda and lies on their platforms, and the state would take strict measures if they did not comply. Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, requested the apex court to issue a clarification on the matter and the Punjab government to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s Feb 6 verdict. He stressed that politicking in the name of the Holy Prophet was the “biggest crime” and that non-Muslims in the country also had rights that needed to be protected.