Shafeeq Lateef was charged with passing derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed and desecrating pages of the Quran near the city of Sialkot in Punjab province on March 17, 2006.
District and Sessions Judge Suhaib Ahmed Roomi of Sialkot awarded the death sentence to Lateef following his conviction for blasphemy. The judge gave him a separate life sentence for desecrating the Quran. The court also directed Lateef to pay a fine of Rs five lakh.
Lateef was produced in the court amidst tight security. A conviction for blasphemy in Pakistan carries the death penalty. Lateef has the right to appeal in higher courts.
The prosecution said Lateef had thrown pages of the Quran in a dirty place and passed derogatory remarks against the Prophet. Some persons caught Lateef and handed him over to police, following which he was charged under blasphemy laws.