Lahore, Mar 6 (PTI) A court in Pakistan has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for passing blasphemous remarks about the Prophet, an official said on Thursday.

"Additional District and Sessions (Rawalpindi) Judge Irfan Ikram awarded life imprisonment to Muhammad Arif for speaking against the Prophet in front of his friends (witnesses)," the court official said.

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The judge also imposed a fine of PKR500,000 on the convict.

According to police, Arif, a resident of Rawalpindi, was sitting with his friends at a restaurant in September last year when they indulged in religious talk. Arif allegedly passed insulting remarks about the Prophet.

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The police said Kamran Khan filed a complaint with the police informing them that Arif had committed blasphemy. Upon this, Arif was arrested and during court proceedings, those present with Arif in the restaurant testified against him for being blasphemer.

In the light of evidence, the court on Wednesday sentenced Arif to life imprisonment and imposed PKR 500,000 fine.

Blasphemy incidents are on the rise in Pakistan, with more people being accused and incarcerated on blasphemy charges.

Blasphemy is a sensitive charge in Pakistan, where even unsubstantiated accusations can lead to mob violence.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)