President Asif Ali Zardari—AP Photo
President Asif Ali Zardari—AP Photo

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has taken serious note of the report of the arrest of a minor Christian girl in Islamabad on the charges of blasphemy and called for a report from the Interior Ministry.

According to reports a minor Christian girl named Ramsha, 11, resident of Hameeraabad in Sector G-8, was arrested and sent to jail allegedly for desecrating pages from the Quran.

Some reports, however, also said that the girl was burning used papers collected from the garbage for cooking when someone entered her house accusing the family of burning pages of the Quran.

This provoked people of the katchi abadi who gathered and beat the mother and sister of Ramsha and also burned some houses of the Christians.

While the Christian population is reported to have fled the area, the police arrested the mother and sister of Ramsha sending the latter to Adiala prison.

Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the president has taken serious note of the incident and called for report from the Interior Ministry.

President Zardari said that blasphemy by anyone cannot be condoned but no one will be allowed to misuse the blasphemy law for settling personal scores.

Farhatullah Babar said that the president called for a report within 24 hours and directed the authorities to protect the life and property of every one and that no one should be allowed to take the law into his hands.

The president also called for protecting every one particularly the vulnerable sections of society from any misuse of the blasphemy law.

Opinion

Editorial

Punishing evaders
02 May, 2024

Punishing evaders

THE FBR’s decision to block mobile phone connections of more than half a million individuals who did not file...
Engaging Riyadh
Updated 02 May, 2024

Engaging Riyadh

It must be stressed that to pull in maximum foreign investment, a climate of domestic political stability is crucial.
Freedom to question
02 May, 2024

Freedom to question

WITH frequently suspended freedoms, increasing violence and few to speak out for the oppressed, it is unlikely that...
Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.