Seeking bail: School principal accused of ‘blasphemy’ pleads innocence

Says he fired the teacher as soon as he learnt what had happened.

LAHORE :

An additional district & session judge on Friday summoned, for Saturday, police record of a blasphemy case registered against the owner (and principal) and a teacher of a school in Kareem Park.

He was hearing an after arrest bail petition filed by the school owner and principal, who was arrested on Wednesday. The principal pleaded that he had nothing to do with the ‘blasphemous’ note. He said the note had been written by one of the teachers. He said he had fired her immediately after learning what had happened. He also informed the court that he has registered an application with the department concerned to initiate proceedings against the teacher. The school owner submitted that he was born a Muslim and “could not imagine committing such a crime”. “My belief in Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) is undisputed,” he said. The principal sought a bail on health grounds. He said that he was 77 years old and has a history of heart problems and other diseases. “Further detention could lead to deterioration of my health,” he said. The female teacher is accused of having distributed ‘blasphemous’ material in her class. The material was distributed as part of a class assessment. The students’ parents had brought the issue to the attention of local clerics. On Tuesday night local community members held discussions and decided to protest outside the school the very next day.

The school, located in Kareem Park and more than 30 years old, was vandalized and furniture was set on fire by a mob of more than hundred on Wednesday. They also demanded immediate legal against the principal and school teacher. Later an FIR was registered by Abdullah Saqib, the vice president of a religious institute Jamiah Kareemiah Sadidiah, under the section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2012.