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Pakistani actress gets 26 years for blasphemy

Veena Malik sentenced for appearing in a staged TV wedding of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.

By Mary Papenfuss
Veena Malik is shocked by the sentence and insists she did "nothing wrong." (Veena Malik/Wikipedia)
Veena Malik is shocked by the sentence and insists she did "nothing wrong." (Veena Malik/Wikipedia)

GILGIT, Pakistan, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Popular Pakistani actress Veena Malik has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for "malicious acts" of blasphemy after appearing in an staged wedding scene based on the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter.

The wedding was part of a daytime program created and aired by Geo TV. It triggered a sudden wave of controversy in the Islamic community even though similar scenes had been aired earlier with little or no notice.

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"The malicious acts of the proclaimed offenders ignited the sentiments of all the Muslims of the country and hurt their feelings, which cannot be taken lightly, and there is need to strictly curb such tendency," stated the ruling by the anti-terrorism court.

Malik, who is currently in Dubai, said she was "shocked" by the sentence.

"We are born Muslims and all I can say is that we have not done any mistakes," she told the Times of India. "We are innocent and that is why I am going to Pakistan to face it. It is not a blasphemy in any way."

It's unclear if the sentence will be enforced. The court order is to be imposed in the city of Gilgit, but control of Gilgit is shared between Pakistan and the India-claimed Kashmir region, so jurisdiction is uncertain. In any case, Malik would have to return to Pakistan to be imprisoned.

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Malik's husband, Asad Bashir Khan, and Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the chief executive of the biggest media group in the Asian country, were also sentenced to 26 years. All three were also ordered to pay a $13,000 fine, surrender their passports and sell all their properties.

Malik was last in trouble with the authorities after posing for a series of risque photos for Indian FHM. She was also roundly criticized for a tweet saying "India sucks," which she blamed on a former manager.

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