Sajid Ali has been charged with posting blasphemous and derogatory content against Islamic figures on social media.
He has been sentenced to jail under Section 11 (hate crime) of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Section 298-A (defiling name of Holy Prophet’s wives, family members or caliphs) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Moreover, a fine of Rs20,000 has been imposed on him.
The judgment passed regarding the case also called for campaigns by the government to create awareness among people about the new cybercrime law.
The prosecutor in the case told media that this was the first case to be tried under a section of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), passed in 2016.
In 2017, a man was sentenced to death for sharing blasphemous content online, however the case did not come under the new cybercrime laws according to the prosecutor.
Authorities have claimed that about 500 cases under PECA 2016 have been registered until now.