Insulting the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad can be punished with life imprisonment or death under Pakistani law.

A Pakistan court has sentenced a man to death on blasphemy charges in eastern Pakistan, according to a government prosecutor.

Kashif Bokhari said a Lahore city court on Tuesday rejected his argument that Mohammad Zulfiqar, 50, was mentally ill and should not have been tried on the charges.

Bokhari was appointed by the government to plead the case because no one turned up to defend Zulfiqar.

Insulting the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad can be punished with life imprisonment or death under Pakistani law.