Life term for Pakistan journalist

Haroon Rashid
BBC correspondent in Peshawar

Protesters attacked the newspaper's offices and printing press

A court in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province has sentenced a journalist to life imprisonment for blasphemy.

Munawar Mohsin, a sub-editor at the Frontier Post newspaper was convicted of publishing a blasphemous letter that led to violent protests across the country.

Mohsin's lawyer said his client would appeal to the provincial court.

Two other defendants - former Frontier Post news editor Aftab Ahmad and computers chief Wajeehul Hassan were acquitted.

The additional district and sessions judge in Peshawar, Sardar Irshad, said the prosecution had not proved the case against them.

An arrest warrant was issued against a fourth man, newspaper managing editor Mahmood Shah Afridi, who has absconded.

Mob attack

In addition to his jail term, Mohsin, 40, was fined 50,000 rupees ($865).

The court ruling said: "The accused was responsible for selection of the letter in question and subsequently he sent the same for the purpose of printing."

The letter was published on 29 January, 2001.

It was written by a person named Ben DZec and appeared in the Your Views column of the newspaper.

The letter contained remarks about the Prophet Mohammed deemed derogatory.

The day after it was printed, a violent mob attacked the offices of the newspaper, set the printing press on fire and damaged other public property, including a cinema.

The Frontier Post quickly carried large advertisements in national dailies apologising for publishing the letter and Mr Afridi also apologised.

However, publication of the newspaper was suspended for a few months after the incident.

Mohsin had been in detention since the publication of the letter.

Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan but no convict has ever been executed.