Pakistan: Hindu Man Booked in Alleged Blasphemy Case in Hyderabad

Islamabad: A Hindu sanitation worker in Pakistan has been arrested on charges of committing blasphemy by burning pages of a religious book, a senior police official said on Monday. The arrest comes following a series of protests by an extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). 

Members of TLP held demonstrations in front of a Hindu building demanding action against the accused sanitation worker, who is identified as Ashok Kumar. As per reports, the alleged blasphemy incident took place in Hyderabad city on Friday. Hyderabad police rushed to the spot and dispersed the agitated mob which was demanding handing over of the Hindu sanitary worker for desecrecation.
 
“The Hindu families living in a building where the incident occurred are scared after the protests organised by the TLP and held outside their building on Sunday,” a Hindu community leader in Hyderabad said, adding Kumar was arrested without due investigation. 

The pages of an Islamic studies book were allegedly burnt on Friday after which the TLP organised protests all over Hyderabad and demanded the registration of a blasphemy case and the arrest of the accused, a police official said. 

Business establishments and shops remained closed in most parts of Hyderabad on Monday following Sunday’s unrest over the incident of alleged desecration. Meanwhile, Ravi Dawani, a prominent Hindu leader, has appealed to the Sindh government to hold an impartial inquiry into the matter.

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Local media reports suggested that over a personal clash with a local resident in Hyderabad, Hindu sweeper was booked in a fake case of blasphemy. Ashok Kumar had a minor tiff with a shopkeeper Bilal Abbasi who then accused the man belonging to a minority community of desecration of a religious book. 

It may be recalled here that many people have been lynched to death in Pakistan on the mere accusation of blasphemy.