Fearing arrest, convicted Mir Shakeelur Rehman flees country: sources

Sources informed that Mir Shakeel left for Dubai under the darkness at 3am on Wednesday.

An Anti-Terrorism Court in Gilgit had sentenced Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman 26 years in prison with Rs 1.3 million fine on Tuesday over a broadcast showing people dancing to a song about the wedding of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.

The channel faced a slew of blasphemy complaints about the show.

“The malicious acts of the proclaimed offenders ignited the sentiments of all the Muslims in the country … which cannot be taken lightly and there is need to strictly curb such tendency,” an anti-terror court said in its verdict.

The channel’s owner, the host of the morning show and two guests were ordered to pay fines of $16,600, surrender their passports and sell their properties.