School prinicipal booked for blasphemy. PHOTO: FILE
On the allegations of the imam of a local mosque, a first information report (FIR) was registered against a school principal here under blasphemy law by Nishtar Town police late Monday night.
Police told that Qazi Iftikhar Ahmad Raza, along with three other clerics as witnesses, filed a case against Salma, alleging that she had circulated blasphemous papers.
The complainant stated that the woman invited him to her house and made blasphemous statements regarding Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He said that he was unable to get legal proceedings initiated against her for lack of tangible proof so far but lately the woman distributed photocopies of her own blasphemous writings. He got hold of them and submitted them as proof.
The accused lady, who runs a secondary school, denied the charges, claiming that the complainant had some personal grudge against her.
She told police investigators that she had filed a complaint against the cleric’s wrongful use of the loudspeaker. She had an ongoing dispute with him for the past two years, and because he held a personal grudge against her, the cleric had the local people turned against her.
Salma claimed innocence by saying she had performed seven Umrahs and three Haj pilgrimages, and could never even think of committing such a crime.
Regarding her writings, she said the cleric had been quoting her words totally out of context. Reading the 30-page pamphlet would absolve her of all the false allegations, she added.
Nishtar Town police station officials said Salma had been receiving threats for the past four months and last night a mob of 200 had stormed her house, breaking everything and shattering the windows.
SP Investigations Model town has personally taken the investigation while the woman was sent to jail on a judicial remand. Her family has been moved to an unknown safe place.
Senior police officials reached the spot along with a good-sized contingent and managed to provide security to the woman and her family.
The mob broke all the glass windows of the school.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2013.
COMMENTS (17)
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Again non sense mob attacked vulnerable and will bit be punished for its crime.
"She told police investigators that she had filed a complaint against the cleric’s wrongful use of the loudspeaker."
It is very likely that the maulvi felt his ego bruised as a result of the noise complaint, and made up a flimsy excuse to take his revenge.
After having lived abroad for more than a year I can easily say that Pakistani society is the most un-Islamic society in the world. Most of the people are hypocrites specially the mullahs.
What happens when you mix religion with politics.
.....and we still think that the KSA is our friend.
Molvi admits that he was waiting for the right opportunity to come by to get equal with the teacher
It's sad (not strange) that many people won't be commenting using their real names.
Here we go again...
May Allah Almighty show his might to the Oppressor and have mercy upon the Innocent...
The one who falsely accused her should be tried and sentenced accordingly.
Unjust laws always lead to exploitation and misuse. It's time to repeal the outdated blasphemy laws.
So land of pure is suffering from holier than thou.Just curious how come usually accuse for blasphemy act is a woman and complainant is a cleric? How come no one is charged for destroying her property? So cleric went to her house instead of going to the Police Station? Cleric has no right to take law in his hand and destroy her property.
Yawn... Another day in Pakistan.
Those clerics must be punished severely if she is wrongly accused... We need to make an example out of it...
Why is this not a more prominent news item? The fact that 200 people stormed the house of a teacher in a relatively developed area based on hearsay is mind boggling and a deep cause of concern.
School principal booked for blasphemy..... ET kindly report to your readers when he is released.