Veena’s husband also awarded jail on the same charges of blasphemy
Pakistan actor Veena Malik along with the owner of Pakistan’s biggest media group, Geo TV, have been sentenced to 26 years in prison for allegedly airing a blasphemous programme.
Veena’s husband Asad Bashir Khan also awarded jail on the same charges.
Judge Shahbaz Khan of an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan pronounced the verdict on Wednesday.
According to several Pakistani newspapers, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, owner of Geo and Jang group, was accused of allowing the airing of a blasphemous programme by Geo television in May, which played a religious song while staging a mock marriage of Veena with Bashir.
The court also sentenced TV host Shaista Wahidi for 26 years.
Veena and Asad left Pakistan soon after amid threats from extremists. Geo TV and host Shaista Lodhi apologised for the show. Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, owner of Geo TV, and Lodhi too have reportedly left Pakistan.
So the anti-terrorism court has labeled them as “proclaimed offenders” and “absconders”.
The court also imposed a 1.3m Pakistani rupees fine on the convicts and ordered that their properties should be sold to raise the fine, if they failed to pay it.
The judge said in his judgment that all four accused committed profanity.
The court in its 40-page verdict also asked the police to arrest the convicts, an official said.
He said that the convict can appeal in the regional high court in Gilgit-Baltistan.
It is not known when the arrests would be carried out. Both Wahidi and the Geo group have tendered apology after the allegations were levelled but the extremists in the country refused to accept it.
Other blasphemy cases were also registered against them in various cities, including Karachi and Islamabad.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
