LAHORE, Nov 3: A court on Saturday refused bail to the principal of a school caught in a blasphemy row over a piece of homework allegedly containing derogatory references to the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Asim Farooqi, 77, was remanded in custody for 14 days on charges of blasphemy despite arguing he had no direct part in the case.

One of his teachers, Arfa Iftikhar, was forced into hiding after a furious mob stormed Farooqi Girls’ High School in Lahore over a piece of homework she set. “The bail petition is dismissed,” Judge Anjum Raza announced after hearing arguments from Mr Farooqi’s lawyer.

The lawyer, Jawad Ashraf, had asked for bail on the grounds the head teacher had no role in the incident.

“The principal of the school can only be held responsible for negligence and has no direct role in the blasphemy incident, he should be released,” he urged the court.

About 10 clerics from mosques gathered at the court to oppose the principal’s release.But at the same time around 2,000 students, parents and teachers gathered at the school to demand its reopening, carrying placards and chanting slogans which included: “Release our principal.”

The school management on Friday took out front page adverts in two newspapers to deny any knowledge of the supposed insults, saying Ms Iftikhar distributed the work just 10 minutes before the school closed for Eidul Azha holiday.—AFP