Pakistani 'disco mullah' faces prosecution for blasphemy
Pop singer turned Islamic preacher apologised immediately but legal proceedings will go ahead

Police in Pakistan are investigating a former pop singer turned Islamic preacher, after he made some remarks allegedly insulting the youngest wife of the Prophet Muhammad.
The remarks appeared in a short video which went viral on the internet.
In the video, Junaid Jamshed, who quit music to become a member of the conservative Tableeghi Jamaat organisation in 2001, said the Prophet’s youngest wife Ayesha demanded attention and also once faked illness, the BBC reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The blasphemy case was filed by another conservative group Sunni Tehrik.
The ‘Disco Mullah’, as the former pop star is known in some parts of Pakistan, immediately released another video apologising and asking for forgiveness.
"I confess to my mistake. I did not do it intentionally," he said. "With a clean heart I ask that Allah forgive me and I beg and beseech all Muslims to forgive me. This was not on purpose", he added.
The spokesman for the conservative group who filed the case against Junaid told the BBC that the former musician’s apology won’t affect the legal process, which will go ahead in spite of Jamshed’s apology.
Blasphemy allegations can lead to a death sentence in Muslim majority Pakistan but, according to Al-Jazeera, no one in Pakistan has yet been executed for the crime.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published