FIA found no proof against bloggers accused of posting blasphemous content

Five bloggers who were accused of posting blasphemous content on social media went missing at the start of this year. The individuals, who took to social media to speak against religious intolerance in Pakistan along with off and on criticism of the Pakistan Army left the country in January.

Subsequently, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the Federal Investigation Authority to bring the bloggers back to the country if substantial evidence of them committing blasphemy is found.

A rights activist, Jibran Nasir, contacted the Supreme Court and presented his stance that there was no evidence supporting the claim that any of the five individuals were administrating the social media page called “Bhensa”, which often posted blasphemous content.

In an interesting proceeding, each of the five bloggers have been cleared of the charges. On Friday, the FIA told the IHC that it has been unable to come across any substantial evidence against the bloggers.

Justice Shaukat Aziz of the IHC remarked that the people who accused the bloggers of posting blasphemous content have committed “twice the crime” since this accusation implied wrongdoings on part of the bloggers and have been a source of constant stress for the families of the accused.

One of the bloggers, Ahmad Waqas Goraya, who now lives in the Netherlands has stated that the state should look into why the mainstream media of the country continued coverage of the campaigns against him and the others despite the lack of concrete proof.

The issue of blasphemous content hyped in Pakistan when a number of Facebook pages including Bhensa, Roshni, and Mochi were found spreading content which was considered as blasphemy against religious norms and against the state’s institution. Most of the content was restricted on Facebook after Pakistan govt’s request on the matter.