Posted on 04/18/2023 12:12:29 AM PDT by Cronos
Pakistani police have arrested a Chinese citizen on blasphemy charges after he allegedly insulted Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, authorities say.
Under Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, a conviction for the offence carries the death penalty.
Police identified the man only as Mr Tian from China and said he was arrested on Sunday night, hours after hundreds of residents and labourers working on a dam project blocked a key highway and rallied to demand his arrest.
The rally took place in the town of Komela - located close to the site of the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan - in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, according to local police chief Naseer Khan.
Khan said officers quickly responded to the protests by "rescuing and arresting" the Chinese man, who was later transported to the northwestern city of Abbottabad by an army helicopter because of concerns he could be attacked by residents.
Khan said security for other Chinese engineers and construction workers had further been beefed up in the town, where the situation was calm after the man's arrest.
According to Khan, the accusations arose from a workplace disagreement: Tian allegedly became upset and reprimanded two local drivers for taking too much time from work to pray.
Other labourers then claimed he had insulted the prophet.
Police said Tian, who was in charge of heavy transport at the project, will be tried under blasphemy laws if investigators prove he insulted Islam.
There was no immediate comment from the Chinese embassy in Islamabad.
The blocked highway later reopened to traffic and work resumed at the Dasu Dam, which has scores of Chinese and hundreds of Pakistani employees working on the project, Khan said.
Mob attacks on people accused of blasphemy and even lynching attacks are common in Pakistan, a conservative Muslim country.
Rights groups say blasphemy accusations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores.
Videos circulating on social media showed an angry mob demonstrating outside a sprawling compound housing Chinese and Pakistani construction workers in Komela.
The demonstrators can be heard chanting "God is great" as security forces fire shots in the air to disperse the crowds.
Although arrests of Muslims and non-Muslims on charges of blasphemy are common in Pakistan, foreigners are rarely among those arrested.
In 2021, a mob lynched a Sri Lankan man at a sports factory in eastern Punjab province and later burned his body in public over allegations he desecrated posters bearing the name of the Prophet Mohammed.
In July 2021, work on the Dasu Dam was suspended for several months following a deadly suicide attack targeting a bus carrying Chinese and Pakistani citizens in Kohistan district, where the dam is located.
The bombing killed 13 people, including nine Chinese citizens.
This will be interesting.
Isn't that the place where they captured and killed the fake Osama Bin Laden?
Yes. Big Army town. HQ of many units and institutions, including I think ISI, the intelligence agency.
Bin Laden was being kept in a safe place, in the bosom of the Paki military
Under Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, a conviction for the offence carries the death penalty.They should include that in the travel brochures.
Blaspheme Xi Jinping or the Chicom party and see where he’d end up.
Notice how its always “the prophet Muhammad” and never “the savior JesusChrist”
Me Chinee,
No speakee bat on Arrah!
Arrah Wahoo Luckbar!
Belt and Road not working so well, is it?
What do you mean fake Osama? You mean it’s not normal to bury moslems at sea?
There was so much wrong with that raid and most Americans bought it hook, line and sinker.
In what context?
I hope you don’t mean that Christians should kill for Jesus.
We knew that we would be mocked for following Him - He told us that those who followed Him would be persecuted.
Or perhaps you mean that Muslims should say “the savior Jesus Christ”?
To me I prefer saying “God, Jesus the Christ”
My point was that the secular media refers to Mohammad as if he WERE “THE” prophet. As in: “The prophet Mohammad”.
Whenever the secular media references Jesus, he is never called, “THE” savior Jesus Christ.
Mohammad may have been “A” prophet, but he is never “THE” prophet anything.
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