Top court upholds Christian man's death sentence in blasphemy case

Pakistan's top court has upheld a Christian man's death sentence in a blasphemy case, Fox News reported, announcing the outcome of the appeal without naming the convicted man, identifying the judges who heard it, or giving the date of the ruling.

The report described only the result. It did not say which court passed the original sentence, what the man was accused of, when he was convicted, where he is held, or whether the appeal was heard by a two-judge or a larger bench. No judgment, cause-list entry or official statement accompanied the report, and this newspaper could not independently confirm the decision.

In a separate report, Premier Christian News said a Christian medic's clinic and his home had been set on fire in Pakistan over blasphemy allegations. That outlet's headline did not name the man, give his location or say when the attack happened, and the full article was not available to this newspaper. No police statement or official comment on the incident was carried in what was available.

It was not immediately clear whether the two reports concerned the same person, the same locality or the same case.

Blasphemy is a criminal offence in Pakistan, and such cases are followed closely by religious minorities' organisations and by rights groups. Because the reports carried no names and no case details, the ruling could not be checked against court records or against the cause list of any bench.

Lawyers in such appeals normally have the right to seek a review after a final order, but the reports did not say whether any review petition had been filed or was being prepared, and did not quote the man's counsel or his family.

This newspaper is not naming the individual because no report it holds identifies him. Further details will be added if a judgment, a court order or an official statement becomes available.