Pakistan: Chinese national arrested for blasphemy in upper Kohistan after protests by locals

Officials in northwestern Pakistan on Monday confirmed the detention of a Chinese engineer, accused of showing disrespect towards Islam. The arrest concluded a night of enraged demonstrations that demanded legal measures be taken against the foreign national.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘀𝘂 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁

The individual taken into custody, identified as "Mr. Tian," was in charge of heavy transportation for the Dasu hydropower project, situated approximately 350 kilometers north of Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and was working for the China Gezhouba Group Company.

On Saturday, an issue arose when the Chinese supervisor attempted to hasten the pace of work by urging his local driving staff to continue working while they were congregated for afternoon prayers at the worksite.

𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳

The copy of the formal police complaint read: "He went on to make insulting remarks and derogatory gestures to disparage Allah and the Prophet of Muslims."

According to authorities, the purported act of blasphemy incited the local staff, resulting in irate protests on Sunday evening throughout the Kohistan district, where the project was underway. Thousands of demonstrators blocked the primary highway connecting Pakistan with China.

The protests lasted for several hours and only ceased in the early hours of Monday when the Chinese national was apprehended, and community leaders were guaranteed that he would face legal consequences. The police stated that traffic on the busy Karakoram Highway was subsequently reinstated.

𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻

In Pakistan, where the majority of the population is Muslim, blasphemy is a delicate subject and carries the penalty of capital punishment.

In Pakistan, accusations of blasphemy are frequently enough to incite mob attacks and result in the lynching of the accused. Such laws are also utilized to settle personal scores and intimidate religious minorities, according to both local and international human rights organizations.

In December of 2021, a Sri Lankan factory manager was killed by his colleagues in Pakistan's central Punjab province, following a false accusation of insulting Islam. Six individuals were later given the death penalty for the foreigner's lynching by a court.