Mentally challenged woman accused of blasphemy: ‘Woman not presented in court for 13 years’
— Pakistan Daily Times reports:
— “A mentally challenged woman, accused of blasphemy, has not been produced in any court of law for 13 years, her counsel told the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday.”
— “The LHC sought a report from the Punjab home secretary on a petition seeking the release of mentally challenged blasphemy accused Zebunnisa. The court directed the home secretary to submit the report until September 29.”
— “The court sought the report while hearing a petition seeking release on medical grounds of a blasphemy accused woman, detained in jail for the last 13 years.”
— “The petitioner’s counsel Aftab Bajwa said in 1996, Islamabad Mahala Police had registered a case under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against Zebunnisa on charges of desecrating Quranic verses. She has been behind bars since then. He said the accused had been mentally retarded since the allegations were leveled against her.”