ISLAMABAD: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging the acquittal of an Islamabad-based woman in a high-profile blasphemy case by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench.
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The woman, Ms Aneeqa Ateeq, had previously been awarded the death penalty by a trial court in January 2022 for alleged blasphemous content sent via WhatsApp. She was also sentenced to a total of 20 years’ imprisonment on related charges under Sections 295-A, 295-C, 298-A of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016.
The Lahore High Court, however, overturned the trial court’s verdict on October 28, 2025, ruling that the prosecution’s evidence was neither convincing nor reliable, and that the conviction and death sentence could not be sustained.
Through the office of the Additional Attorney General, the NCCIA filed the appeal before the Supreme Court, contending that the high court’s decision involved a misinterpretation of law and an improper appreciation of evidence. The agency emphasized that the prosecution’s case relied heavily on digital evidence recovered from the respondent’s mobile phone, and that ownership of the device had been conclusively established during the trial.
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The appeal also argued that Ms Ateeq, during cross-examination, had admitted to the actions attributed to her, undermining the high court’s assessment of the evidence. The NCCIA requested that the Supreme Court review the acquittal and restore the trial court’s conviction and sentences. The Supreme Court has yet to announce a hearing date for the appeal.