ISLAMABAD: Police say they are investigating whether a cleric who allegedly tried to frame a Christian girl for blasphemy should be charged with insulting Islam himself.

Police officer Munir Jafferi said officials registered the blasphemy case against Khalid Jadoon Chishti on Monday.

Police arrested Chisti on Saturday after a member of the cleric's mosque accused him of stashing pages from the copy of the holy Quran in the girl's bag to make it seem like she burned pages containing verses from the holy book.

Chishti has denied the allegation.

Jafferi said Chishti could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of desecrating the holy Quran.

The Christian girl's lawyer, Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, said his client would remain in prison until at least Friday after her bail hearing was delayed for the second time Monday.