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.
๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐
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 Pakistanโs 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.
๐๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ
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.
๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป
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.
