ISLAMABAD: the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Thursday removed specific paragraphs from its earlier rulings issued on February 6 and July 24 in the Mubarak Sani case.

A bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, along with Justices Aminuddin Khan and Naeem Akhtar Afghan, accepted the government’s urgent request to omit certain sections from the previous judgments.

The CJP announced the court’s decision, which deleted paragraphs 7 and 42 from the Mubarak Sani case judgment.

Acknowledging the possibility of errors, the CJP stated, “We can also make mistakes. If we make a mistake, it should be corrected rather than turned into an issue.”

Mubarak Sani’s conviction, stemming from a 2019 charge under the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, was overturned by a SC bench led by Qazi Faez Isa on February 6. The court ruled that the alleged offense could not be considered a crime until 2021, leading to Sani’s immediate release and the reversal of his conviction.

Subsequently, the government contested the decision, arguing that certain paragraphs related to Article 20 of the Constitution needed revision. They claimed that the constitutional rights of citizens, as outlined in this provision, are not absolute but rather subject to law, public order, and morality.

The Supreme Court, agreeing with the government’s plea, ruled on July 24 that the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion and the right to practice one’s faith are indeed subject to considerations of morality, public order, and the law.