Schoolteacher arrested in Muzaffargarh for ‘blasphemy’

MULTAN: A teacher at a government school in Muzaffargarh has been arrested and an FIR registered against him under Section 295-C (blasphemy) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Police said they had arrested Salim* – an Arabic language teacher at Government High School, Qasba Gormani, on Saturday – on the complaint of Wasim*, a grade 6 student.

A test case for Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, a chance to do right

The complainant has accused the teacher of using derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Police say no evidence has been found against the teacher. They say a team has been formed under SSP Sajjad to investigate the claim. Police have moved the teacher to an undisclosed location.

Muhammad Hamza, a local, said it seemed that Wasim had registered the FIR against his teacher to settle a personal score. Salim had beaten Wasim for not doing his homework, he said.

• Names have been changed to protect identities.

Last week, Sheikhupura police registered a case against a Christian man for allegedly posting blasphemous content on social media.

District Police Officer (DPO) Sarfraz Khan Virk said the suspect, Usman Masi, resident of Nabipura posted blasphemous text on a social networking website, following which residents of the area lodged a complaint against him. However, he did not delve into details regarding which social networking website the text was posted on nor the text itself.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Inspector Iftkhar Ahmed said, “According to initial investigations, blasphemous messages were posted by a Christian man named Usman Masi.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2016.