An anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced earlier today, a prayer leader of Kasur to five years in jail for delivering a hate speech at a public gathering.
A case under Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act had been registered against Qari Abubakar at Kot Radha Kishan police station on a complaint lodged by a sub-inspector.
According to the prosecution, the prayer leader was inciting people against a particular religious sect and he was arrested on the spot.
The prosecution also produced before the court the video recording of the speech.
The accused denied the charge and took the plea that he did not attend the gathering. inspite of his video being presented to the court in which he was clearly seen and heard inciting hate.
After going through the case, Judge Haroon Latif sentenced the cleric to five-year term. According to an official, 21 people have been convicted this year of delivering hate speeches. Some of them had been jailed for up to eight years. Two of them are from Lahore.
