Pakistan sentences Christian man to death over a poem that allegedly insulted Islam

A Pakistani Christian has been sentenced to death after he was found guilty of blasphemy for sharing a poem that allegedly insulted Islam.

Nadeem James, 35, was arrested in July 2016 after his Muslim friend, Yasir Bashir, accused him of sharing a poem on WhatsApp messaging service that was deemed derogatory toward Islam's prophet Muhammad and other holy figures.

Defense lawyer Riaz Anjum said that his client intends to appeal the death sentence handed down on Thursday by a sessions court in the town of Gujarat.

"My client will appeal the sentence in the high court as he has been framed by his friend who was annoyed over his [the accused's] affair with a Muslim girl," the lawyer said, as reported by Dawn.

The trial was reportedly held inside a prison for security reasons, as local clerics had threatened the accused and his family.

Blasphemy is considered a criminal offense in Pakistan, and mere allegations of the crime have often lead to violence against the accused.

In 2011, Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer was assassinated by his own bodyguard after he called for the country's blasphemy laws to be reformed. The assassin, who was executed last year, has been hailed by Islamic hardliners as a martyr.

Last April, a mob in Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan had beaten a student named Mashal Khan to death following a dorm debate about religion. Over 20 students and some faculty members were arrested in connection with the killing, according to Reuters.

The incident drew widespread outrage and had prompted the Pakistani parliament to consider adding safeguards to the blasphemy laws. The slain student has since been cleared of all blasphemy charges.

The Pakistani government has stepped up its crackdown against blasphemy related crimes on social media.

Earlier this year, former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar threatened to block social media websites with "blasphemous content."

In March, Nisar told a court that Facebook has removed 85 percent of blasphemous content from its website.

Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Syed Ismael said at the time that a 25-member team has been working to look for blasphemous content online. He noted that Facebook had previously refused to consider blasphemous material as a violation of policies, but the social network has since agreed to remove such reported pages.

"Facebook's agreement with our demands is a big achievement," Ismail said, adding, "they have assured to comply with our demand."

At least 67 murders have been committed over unproven allegations of blasphemy, according to data from a research center and independent records kept by Reuters. Most of the blasphemy cases are filed against members of minority communities.