Sept. 2
PAKISTAN:
Pakistani Police Arrest Cleric In Christian Girl's Blasphemy Case
Authorities in Pakistan have arrested a Muslim cleric who allegedly framed a
young Christian girl arrested last month under the country's controversial
blasphemy law.
Witnesses said Imam Khalid Chishti was seen tearing pages from a Koran and
placing them in a bag belonging to the girl that already contained burned
papers.
Muslim neighbors in the girl's home village outside Islamabad later accused her
of burning the Islamic texts, a crime that under Pakistani law can carry a
punishment of life in prison or even the death penalty.
The cleric's arrest could lead to the girl's release from prison and is likely
to stir fresh debate about the blasphemy law, which critics say discriminates
against the country's religious minorities.
The case has proven especially controversial because the girl is believed to be
in her early teens and mentally handicapped.
(source: Radio Free Europe)
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