Pakistani faces death for blasphemy

A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to death in Pakistan after he was found guilty of making derogatory remarks about Islam and its prophet Muhammad.

Chaudary Bashir was convicted under the country’s controversial blasphemy laws after a local cleric accused him of preaching his own version of Islam.

Under Pakistan’s blasphemy law, it is an offence punishable by death to offend Islam, its prophet or its holy book, the Koran.

The laws have been criticised by international and Pakistani human rights groups, which say they are easily abused.

Only the word of the accuser is needed to prosecute a suspect on blasphemy charges.

Bashir was accused by Maulana Mohammed Qasim, a cleric in Bhawalnagar, 120 miles south-west of Multan, in Punjab.

An appeal against the death sentence has automatically been filed.