Pak Court Acquits Ex-Military Officer in Blasphemy Case, Citing Lack of Evidence

• Lahore High Court set aside the death sentence of Col (R) Muhammad Arif in a blasphemy case.
• Arif was acquitted due to "want of evidence" after a sessions court had previously awarded him the death penalty.
• The case stemmed from an altercation where TLP activists accused Arif of blasphemy after he confronted them for harassing his wife.
• LHC observed that the trial court failed to apply judicial mind and police did not properly investigate the case.
• The case highlights how personal grudges often underpin blasphemy accusations in Pakistan.