2 arrested ‘for blasphemy’ in Pakistan

Ashiq Masih,(C), husband of Christian woman Asia Bibi who faces the death sentence for blasphemy, leaves the Supreme Court in Islamabad, in this October 13, 2016 photo. (AFP)

ISLAMABAD: A teacher and a preacher have been arrested on blasphemy charges in two separate incidents in Pakistan, police said Saturday.
The preacher was arrested in the village of Changa in Daska district of Punjab province for preaching things “contrary to Islam,” local police station chief Javed Hussain told AFP.
“Saeen Aslam was arrested over blasphemy charges on the complaints of locals,” Hussain said.
Hussain said Aslam had started preaching at a local shrine some three months ago and had been acting strangely.
In a second incident in the Punjab town of Kamalia a college teacher was arrested for beating up a student from the minority Shiite sect who absented himself to attend the annual Ashura procession last week.
“Police have arrested a teacher Faraz Ahmed for thrashing his Shiite student Zainul Abideen because he missed his class to attend his religious rites,” local police official Mohammad Farooq told AFP.
Ahmed has been charged under the blasphemy law for assaulting the student because of his faith and detained, he added.
Both Ahmed and Aslam face up to 10 years jail time if convicted, police officials said.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan. Rights groups complain the controversial legislation is often abused to carry out personal vendettas.
The cases emerged one day after Pakistan’s Supreme Court delayed an appeal against the death sentence meted out to a Christian woman in 2010 for blasphemy.
Asia Bibi was accused of making anti-Islam remarks, punishable by death under the blasphemy law, in a notorious case that has seen rights groups and the Vatican call for her release.
Her final court appeal was due to be held Thursday in Islamabad, but was delayed after one of the three-judge bench claimed he had a conflict of interest. No new date has been set.