Lahore: Justice Shahbaz Khan of Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court has sentenced actress Veena Malik, her husband Asad Basheer Khan and Geo TV owner Shakilur Rehman to 26 years imprisonment on charge of blasphemy on Monday.
Geo TV host Shaista Waheedi has also been sentenced to 26 years in jail for the "blasphemous" show.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs 13 lakhs on the convicts, and in the event of failing to pay their fine, the judge has ordered that their properties be attached.
All the four convicts are currently out of Pakistan. Geo TV owner Shakilur Rehman stays in the UAE, while the other three are also staying outside their homeland because of threats from terrorists.
The Geo TV host Shaista Waheedi and the Geo media group had tendered apology after telecasting the show, but jihadi fundamentalists in Pakistan refused to accept their apology.
The four convicts can appeal against the verdict before the regional High Court of Gilgit-Baltistan.
On May 14 this year, Geo TV telecast the show in which Veena Malik and Asad Bashir Khan took part in a "fake wedding" in which Manqabat, a Sufi devotional song was rendered.
Manqabat, the Sufi devotional song is sung in praise of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, or of any Sufi saint.
The song was performed in Geo TV host Shaista Waheedi's show "Utho Jaago Pakistan".
On May 17 this year, a court in Pakistan ordered police to file a case against all the four convicts in which it was alleged that they insulted the family members of Prophet Muhammad. Since then, Geo TV has supended Shaista Waheedi's show.
The bone of contention was over the Manqabat Qawwali "Ali and Zohra's marriage".
Actress Veena Malik had married Pakistani businessman Asad Bashir Khan in Dubai on December 25, 2013 after a long relationship.
