A man accused of posting blasphemous content on WhatsApp was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday, holding that further investigation is required in the instant matter. 

A two-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Qazi Isa and comprised of Justice Yahya Afridi, granted bail to accused Zahid Mahmood in return for a surety bond of Rs100,000, The News reported. On June 6, 2022, the Cybercrime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Multan complained against the accused. 

After hearing the matter, the trial court and the high court rejected the bail application of the accused, who later moved to the apex court for relief. On Friday, during the hearing, Justice Isa said that the trial court had not inserted any clause while indicting the accused.

“How will the accused fight his case when he is unaware of what crime he has committed?” Justice Isa asked the deputy attorney-general.

The judge inquired whether the instant case falls under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The deputy attorney-general, however, submitted that the investigation agency had investigated the matter in the complaint filed against the accused.