UPDATE:

This article has been updated to reflect new information.

A young Christian boy, Akash Karamat, has been granted bail in one of the blasphemy-related cases against him.

However, he remains in custody as he is allegedly involved in two other pending cases.

Lahore, January 7, 2025 — The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted post-arrest bail to a young Christian boy, Akash Karamat, in one of the blasphemy-related cases registered under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). However, Akash remains in custody as he is allegedly involved in two other pending cases.

The case, which has garnered significant attention due to Akash’s juvenile status, continues to raise critical concerns about the application of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

The FIR, registered under Sections 295-A, 295-B, 295-C, and 298-A of the PPC at Satellite Town Police Station in Sargodha, accused Akash of making derogatory remarks about revered Islamic figures. Complainant Abdul Ghaffar claimed to have discovered a piece of paper with offensive writings pasted on the wall of his house on July 16, 2023. Although Akash was not initially named in the FIR, his name was added almost six weeks later following a supplementary statement by the complainant on September 1, 2023.

Akash’s lawyer, Asad Jamal, argued that his client, who was under 17 at the time of arrest, should have been granted bail earlier under the Juvenile Justice System Act of 2018. Despite a court order confirming Akash’s juvenile status in July 2024, his bail petition was initially denied by the trial court.

Justice Waheed Khan of the LHC granted post-arrest bail for Akash in this specific case, citing insufficient evidence. In his ruling, Justice Khan stated, “No source regarding the involvement of the present petitioner has been mentioned in the supplementary statement. Nothing is available on record to show that any witness personally observed the alleged incident.”

The court highlighted that while adhesive tape was recovered from Akash, it did not conclusively connect him to the crime. Furthermore, handwriting samples analyzed by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency provided inconclusive results, as the agency stated that no definitive conclusions could be drawn from the evidence.

The court also noted the lack of progress in the trial, which made it unreasonable to keep Akash in custody indefinitely. Justice Khan remarked, “The petitioner has been in custody since his arrest. After the completion of the investigation, the report under Section 173 of the Cr.P.C. has been sent to the learned trial court, but since then, the trial has made no considerable progress.”

While Akash’s release in this particular case is a relief for his family and human rights advocates, his continued detention due to other pending allegations has kept the young boy behind bars.

This development highlights ongoing concerns about the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan, especially their impact on vulnerable individuals, including juveniles. Human rights activists continue to call for reforms to ensure fair treatment, due process, and protection for those accused under these contentious laws.