Karachi: A Pakistani businessman who refused to take part in protests against an anti-Islam film has been slapped with blasphemy charges.
Haji Nasrullah, the businessman, has gone into hiding and the police are on a lookout for him.
He went into hiding after the police registered a case against him under the blasphemy law on the complaint of some people who were part of the protest rally held on Wednesday.
Nasrullah, who owns a market at Hala Naka area off the Karachi-Hyderabad National Highway, is also the chairman of a local shopkeepers association and originally hails from Mohmand Agency.
"Nasrullah has been booked for blasphemy offence under sections 295-B and C on the complaint of Kachkol Khan and others," Munir Abbasi, a police officer at the Hatri police station in whose jurisdiction the protest rally was held, said.
The blasphemy laws include a death penalty for the defamation of the Holy Prophet and life imprisonment for the desecration of the Holy Quran.
Since the law was introduced in 1986, an estimated number of 1,280 people have been charged and reports say around 51 people who were accused of blasphemy were murdered before their trials were completed.
Prior to 1986, only 14 cases pertaining to blasphemy were reported.
Human rights groups and civil society organisations often call for repealing it on the ground that it is badly misused, particularly against religious minorities for settling personal scores.
"Some protesters wanted shops at the Hala Naka area closed in protest against the anti-Islam movie to which Nasrullah objected," Abbasi said.
According to him, some shopkeepers reported the matter to a mufti in a nearby mosque.
"They alleged that Nasrullah used some very objectionable remarks against the Holy Prophet," said Azam Jehangiri a local leader who is associated with Maulana Fazal Rehman`s Jamiat-i-Islam.
Abbasi said that the shopkeepers had also produced witnesses to back their claims before a Mufti.
Subsequently, Abbasi says, after a brief gathering in the area mosque, scores of outraged activists of religious parties and seminary students tried to attack Nasrullah`s house, leading to a clash.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.