Free Republic

A Christian girl who was arrested under Pakistan's controversial anti-blasphemy law may have moved a step closer to freedom on Sunday after police detained a Muslim cleric on suspicion of planting evidence to frame her. Still, Rimsha Masih, whose arrest last month angered religious and secular groups worldwide, may be in danger if she returns from jail to her village. Some Muslim neighbors insist she should still be punished, and said the detained imam was a victim Under Muslim Pakistan's anti-blasphemy law, the mere allegation of causing offence to Islam can mean death. Those accused are sometimes killed by members...

ISLAMABAD — The Muslim cleric at the forefront of a campaign to prosecute a Christian girl for blasphemy has suddenly found himself at risk of facing the same charges, after one of his colleagues went to the authorities and accused him of falsifying evidence of burned holy papers. The surprise arrest might change the direction of a case that has brought the world’s attention to Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, which critics say are regularly used to exploit and intimidate minorities. And it bolstered the possibility of a speedy release for Rimsha Masih, the girl awaiting trial in prison on charges...