Abdul Basit, an administrator at a medical college, was arrested in 2008 and accused of murdering the uncle of a woman he was in a relationship with. He has always maintained his innocence. In 2009, he was found guilty and sentenced to death.
He spent 18 months in Sahiwal Jail before being transferred to Central Jail Faisalabad in 2010. There, riots broke out, and Abdul was sent to a punishment wing, where he was subjected to harsh conditions and untreated illness, eventually falling into a coma. He was later diagnosed with tubercular meningitis, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. A medical board confirmed he would be permanently disabled and likely bedridden for life. Despite his suffering, Abdul has continued to maintain his dignity, practicing calligraphy and copying verses from the Quran.
In July 2015, his first death warrant was issued, but it was stayed by the Lahore High Court. A second warrant was issued in September 2015 but was also stayed due to concerns about his health. At the time, Abdul was sitting in a wheelchair, bound and unable to move. A mercy petition was forwarded to the Ministry of Interior in October 2015, but there has been no further correspondence regarding its status. Despite his physical condition and pending mercy petitions, Abdul continues to face the threat of execution.
A new mercy petition was filed in April 2023, and there is currently an unofficial stay on his execution.