KASUR: Kanganpur police on Sunday arrested the caretaker of a mosque over charges of alleged blasphemy in Kals area.

Villagers staged a protest demonstration outside the Kanganpur police station following the arrest. They besieged the building and demanded police hand over the suspect to them. A large number of villagers were still demonstrating outside the police station till filing of this report.

According to police, villagers had caught Hafiz Haroon Rasheed of Jamia Arabia in Kanganpur area of Kals when he was burning something outside the mosque. The villagers alleged that he was burning pages of the holy Quran. A villager informed police, who arrested Rasheed and took him to the police station.

Police told Dawn that Rasheed denied burning anything but some torn pages and straw outside the mosque. He also told police that being a Muslim he could not even think of doing what he was alleged to have done. Police said they were holding dialogue with local religious scholars on the issue.

BOOKED: Mustafabad police booked six people, including a cleric whose entry was banned in Kasur.

The district administration had banned the entry of 21 ulema belonging to various sects for three months, including Khadim Hussain Rizvi, in September.

On Saturday night, a religious organisation blocked a road by fixing tents on it for speeches of five ulema, including Rizvi. On receiving information, Mustafabad police conducted a raid at the venue and stopped the event. They, however, did not arrest any of the speakers or organisers for fear of law and order situation.

On Sunday, police booked six suspects, including Rizvi, under sections 188 and 341 of PPC, 13 MPO and 6 Punjab Sound System Ordinance.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2017