▁F SC ▁ruled ▁that ▁§   2 9 5 - C ▁was ▁rep ug nant ▁to ▁Islam ▁by ▁perm itting ▁life ▁imprison ment ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁a ▁death ▁sentence . ▁The ▁Court ▁said ▁" the ▁penalty ▁for ▁cont empt ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Pro ph et ▁... ▁is ▁death ." ▁The ▁F SC ▁ruled ▁that , ▁if ▁the ▁President ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁action ▁to ▁am end ▁the ▁law ▁before ▁ 3 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁then ▁§   2 9 5 - C ▁would ▁stand ▁am ended ▁by ▁its ▁r uling . ▁ ▁Prom pt ly ▁after ▁the ▁F SC ' s ▁r uling ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁Bishop ▁D ani ▁L . ▁Tas le em ▁file d ▁an ▁appeal ▁in ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁Pakistan , ▁which ▁has ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁over rule ▁the ▁F SC . ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁Sh ariat ▁App ell ate ▁Ben ch ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁considered ▁the ▁appeal . ▁Deput y ▁Att orney - General ▁Ag ha ▁T ari q ▁Me hm ood , ▁who ▁represented ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Sh ariat ▁App ell ate ▁Ben ch ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁appeal ▁because ▁the ▁app ell ant ▁did ▁not ▁purs ue ▁it . ▁The ▁app ell ant ▁did ▁not ▁present ▁any ▁argument ▁on ▁the ▁appeal ▁because ▁the ▁app ell ant , ▁according ▁to ▁reports , ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁alive . ▁Con sequently , ▁it ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁law ▁in ▁Pakistan