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ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Thursday constituted an investigative team, headed by a senior police superintendent (SSP), to probe the Rimsha Masih case.
A high level meeting was chaired by the interior minister in Islamabad to review the progress of investigation regarding Rimsa Masih, the 14-year old Pakistani Christian girl accused of blasphemy – a case that has prompted worldwide concern.
The investigation, headed by SSP Tahir Alam, will be supervised by a district magistrate. Alam will submit a daily progress report of the investigation to the magistrate.
The interior minister on Thursday also directed the Chief Commissioner to take into confidence the Islamabad Ulema Council and share the investigation in a transparent manner.
The young girl, belonging to a poor Islamabad suburb, has been in custody for nearly three weeks after she was accused of burning pages containing verses from the Quran.
Last week, Khalid Jadoon, the imam who first gave police evidence against her, was arrested after his deputy accused him of adding pages from the holy book to the burnt papers taken from Rimsha.
The girl, who is “uneducated” and has a mental age of less than 14 according to a medical report, will remain in a high-security prison until Friday at the earliest – by which time the minor will have spent 22 days in custody.
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On DawnNews
Comments (29) Closed
Sep 06, 2012 05:37pm
The So called Independent CJP is not taking suo moto notice of this incident because he think that he will become unpopular by doing so.
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Sep 06, 2012 06:10pm
I am a Christian living in India and have several Muslim fiends here. They have time and again displayed how a true Muslim behaves. Unfortunately, such Pakistanis give the very word "Muslim" a bad name. You all should be ashamed that you cannot protect a innocent 14 year old child from monsters such as that so called IMAM (a religious man of God who himself tore pages of your holy book to frame another!) I would pray for the child today and also for your country. I would not wish evil or hate on any of you reading this post, but would wish you live in peace with your families and loved ones and enjoy your lives on earth rather than look on how to hurt one another. God Bless you all and give you some wisdom and courage to undo what a few unholy men have done in the name of God.
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Sep 07, 2012 03:20am
And more bad press is deserved since she is still in jail. Free Rimsha NOW!!!!
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Sep 06, 2012 08:03pm
Rimsa Masih should be released on bail, while the case against the Imam is resolved.
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Sep 07, 2012 09:58am
Around the world, we are a mockery. What if a website is closed down, an electronic version erased? Should it trigger a war.Many of the Pakistani need to be educated. This girl should be freed asap she is just a kid. Muslim does worst than this. Muslim minorities in other christian majority countries get far better treatment than what Christians gets in Pakistan. My kids had to answer awkward question in their class.
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Sep 07, 2012 04:52pm
Rather than capture terrorists who massacred Shias in Baluchistan and Gilgit, Pakistani state is persecuting a 14 year old girl.
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Sep 06, 2012 04:30pm
Why is the poor handicapped minor in jail from day one? This is unjustified!
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Sep 06, 2012 04:50pm
22 days in jail for being innocent from the start. She was tried and found guilty because of one Mullana. Great!!
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Sep 06, 2012 05:31pm
My first feelings were - An investigative team? Then I thought - for Heavens sake, just let the little girl out of jail. Then I thought. How can they do that? Certain people have said - 'She still deserves to be punished.' If she leaves jail, she might be killed.
Some mess Pakistan's cruel blasphemy laws have caused.
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Sep 06, 2012 04:41pm
Her life is over as some fanatic mullah will kill her anyway unless she spent rest of her life in a civilized country. Sorry guys you may not like it but atleast I have courage to speak truth.
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Sep 06, 2012 07:08pm
If this imam, Khalid Jadoon, is found guilty he should be given extremely harsh punishment in public to set an example.
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Sep 06, 2012 06:37pm
I hope we can also look into some of the other cases where minority chrstians were targeted in similar cases . i have daughter of same age, just the thought of 14 year girl old blidfolded in high security prison is extremely unsettlling. I think this whole country is a joke , now we find that a maulvi was trying to implicate a poor innocent kid sensible people living in that country should rise against these mullahs we have to be more tolerant and make religion a very personel affair not let extreme maulvis dictate how to live our lives.
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Sep 06, 2012 04:45pm
What a joke that she is still in jail..shame..!!!!!!!!!
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Sep 06, 2012 06:32pm
A step forward. May all involved in the investigation get to the truth and reveal the truth for all of us and for our country too,as in this truth will reside the seeds for us to pick and choose that can promote harmony or division and discord which are not in anyone's interest.
May God grant the spirit of wisdom and guidance to all those who can impact this case,that they may give it a new direction badly and sadly needed at this critical juncture of historical import in the interest of peace and harmony.
Let there be harmony as envisioned by Quaid in his 11th of Aug, 1947 speech in the interest of Pakistan and Pakistani's of different cultures,regions and religions.
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Sep 06, 2012 05:13pm
Mr. Malik! we should have gone in this particular direction from day one. Pakistan's name is already tarnished and perhaps this is the only vital opportunity to bring glory to our country's defamed name.
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Sep 06, 2012 05:10pm
i can't understand why too much hate between Muslim and christian,
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Sep 07, 2012 08:18am
what is going on ????? Appreciated that this news was printed but why can't they fight for her demanding her release at earliest.....
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Sep 07, 2012 06:03am
Malik needed to do this along time ago not now.Our own ones are making pakistan look bad. Now we are a real terrorists country.
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Sep 06, 2012 06:47pm
Finaly some one take action for poor gril.What will happen Mullah any body know.
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Sep 06, 2012 07:44pm
Tanvir, I don't think Pakistan or Pakistanis care that much about image. This is just one incident in a long series. And, more to come. It almost looks like a competition to make Pakistan look bad.
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Sep 06, 2012 04:02pm
Great after all the bad press and TV coverage we have received the world over.
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Sep 06, 2012 10:16pm
The whole world would be watching how this investigation would be conducted. As with all other investigations of similar nature where minority rights are involved, there is no hope that the government would take decisive action against the mullahs. I urge the Ministry of Interior to conduct a fair investigation, do it rapidly and share the findings publicly so that we know that the justice has been done. Additionally people found guilty of framing the poor girl should be handed harsh sentences to make an example of them so that no one should dare misuse the blasphemy law against their neighbors and especially against helpless Christians.
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Sep 07, 2012 04:49am
The girl, who is
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Sep 07, 2012 01:36am
Slow and stumbling ,,hesitant and unsure...congratulations it was DONE AT LAST!
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Sep 07, 2012 04:47am
He's here. He's there. He's everywhere. Brilliant.
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Sep 07, 2012 02:35am
HE LOVES MAKING COMMITTEES AND TEAMS ALL FAILURE NOT ONE IOTA OF SUCCESS
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Sep 07, 2012 12:32am
This is a welcome step, although it is a reflection on the state of the law enforcement apparatus that the order had to come from no less a person than the Interior Minister. It would have been an improvement if he had decided that the daily report should be submitted by the SSP directly to the Interior Minister, bypassing the entire channel. It would have given him a chance of ensuring that correct decisions were taken all along the line. Even so, let us hope for the best. We wait for law to take its course. Unfortunately, the girl remains in prison until conclusion of the proceedings.V. C. Bhutani, Delhi, India, 7 Sep 2012, 0602 IST
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Sep 07, 2012 05:49am
This case has gone on for quite some time and Mr Malik is still seeking an investigation in spite of of a confession of two persons who have said that the imam of that mosque putting pages of the Holy Quran to further his claim. I think it is high time the girl is released honourably
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Sep 06, 2012 06:54pm
Why are they delaying the matter?Don't they know the Pakistani police and its working? Poor girl May GOD save her from these wild animals.
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