LAHORE: A headteacher caught in a blasphemy row over a piece of homework allegedly containing derogatory references to the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was Wednesday released on bail, his lawyer said.
Asim Farooqi, 77, of Farooqi Girls' High School, was released after the Lahore High Court granted him bail against a Rs200,000 surety, his lawyer Jawad Ashraf told AFP.
A lower court had early this month refused bail and remanded Farooqi in custody for 14 days on charges of blasphemy despite arguments he had no direct part in the case.
A teacher, Arfa Iftikhar, was forced into hiding after a furious mob stormed the school in the eastern city of Lahore over a piece of homework she set. Police are still searching for her.
The school management had subsequently published front page adverts in two leading newspapers after the incident to deny any knowledge of the alleged insults, saying Iftikhar distributed the work just 10 minutes before the school closed for the Eidul Azha holiday.
Activists say Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws are often abused to settle personal scores, and Ashraf said the possibility of a conspiracy against the school, one of the most successful in Lahore, could not be ruled out.
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Voice of the time, GET MATURED PAKISTAN !
Sick. The blasphemy laws are useless as they target innocents. The people who attacked a school committed the real blasphemy and should be arrested!!
keep it up , countries like Pakistan does not need to be destroyed by bomd or any ammunition. they already have lots self claimed intellectuals and Religious Thekedaar to destroy them.
The law is good. Its abuse needs to be severely punished though. That is all.
What ever happened to the child with downs syndrome who was falsely accused by an Imam - that story deserves some follow up.
Here we go again. For God sake repeal this draconian law.
I hope the case against this Principal who is doing the noble task of providing high quality education to girls at a very affordable cost is found to be not maintainable and dismissed outright.
Why not use police to find real criminals ?