Junaid Hafeez was booked under blasphemy charges in 2013. He has been in solitary confinement since 2013.
In a letter written on November 26, the parents of Junaid Hafeez lamented that their son had been languishing in prison since the past six years, that too in solitary confinement.
They stated that due to the repeated transfers of judges and the delaying tactics of the prosecution had resulted in the continued imprisonment of their son in a false blasphemy case.
They further said that despite the fact that the last of the prosecution’s witnesses had been cross-examined on September 3, there still has not been any progress regarding the decision. Moreover, they regretted the fact that the prosecution had consecutively submitted five baseless applications so that a decision could not be made in the case.
The letter further stated due to these delays, their son, who was in solitary confinement and was living a life of fear, was experiencing increased mental stress. In their recent meeting, the father and son could not control their tears. The letter added that Junaid’s mother was always waiting for her son to return.
In the end of the letter, the parents of Junaid Hafeez requested the chief justice that they be given justice and relieved of their miseries.
It is important to note that in an interview in September to Naya Daur, the defense counsel in the case had stated that the prosecution had failed to come up with any substantial evidence and were submitting new applications to delay the case. Meanwhile, eight judges have been transferred in the past six and a half years.
Moreover, in early November, Scholars At Risk, an international body aiming to safeguard the rights of scholars suffering grave threats to their lives and liberty, had written a letter to the Pakistani prime minister and Supreme Court chief justice, expressing its concern over Junaid Hafeez’s incarceration and to call for expediting the resolution of his case.