June 07, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 6: All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (Apma) on Wednesday sought protection for the students of the School of Nursing who, it claimed, were being allegedly threatened by Lal Masjid students.

Speaking at a press conference, Apma Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti quoted the nurses as saying that the students of Lal Masjid, who came to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on June 1, allegedly wanted to kill Christian students.

Bishop Anthony Lobo and MPAs of Punjab Assembly Pervez Rafiq and Navid Jeva were also present on the occasion.

After the incident, Mr Bhatti said, the Christian students and nurses were being harassed by their fellow Muslim students who threatened to kidnap and kill them.

The Christian students clearly denied the allegations that they had desecrated Quranic verses and called it a conspiracy against them. They said they were determined to prove their innocence at all forums.

He claimed that some of the male students might be involved in the incident as they used to visit the girls’ area and wrote their numbers and messages on notice boards.

An FIR was registered on the complaint of Pims Deputy Director Raja Amjad Mehmood at Margalla police station on June 1 against unknown persons under section 295B of the blasphemy law.

Registration of a blasphemy case under section 295B of the Pakistan Penal Code bypassed the rules as the registration of such a case requires an inquiry to be conducted by an officer of the rank of SP.

He said there was no direct evidence and nobody was witness to the alleged blasphemy, the case was altogether fabricated, concocted and based on ulterior motives.

Mr Bhatti claimed that this was a conspiracy against Christian nurses particularly the principal to remove her from the post or transfer her as she was holding a key position.

The religious minorities are being roped in false cases under blasphemy law and many are murdered extra-judicially or languishing in prison for years, he alleged, adding that the families of the victims were compelled to leave their home due to threats, harassments and sense of insecurity.

He said Apma urged the government to conduct a proper and independent inquiry and in the meantime immediately reinstate the principal, instructor and students and unmask the hands behind the entire incident and mayhem.