Page 11 - Pakistan Link - April 21, 2023

PAKISTAN PAKISTAN LINK - APRIL 21, 2023 - P11

Faisalabad Woman Arrested DASU: Pakistan police have arrested a Chinese Citizen Arrested
Chinese national on blasphemy charg-
on Blasphemy Charges es, after he allegedly insulted Islam and for Blasphemy in Pakistan
the Prophet Muhammad, risking a rare
flare-up in tensions between Beijing
and Islamabad.
Hundreds of Pakistanis de-
scended on a residential camp for
Chinese workers near the Dasu Hy-
dropower Project in northern Paki-
stan, late on Sunday, chanting death
threats against a Chinese national,
named Mr Tian, who could face the
death penalty.
Mr Tian, who is allegedly in
charge of heavy machinery for the
China Gezhouba Group Company at
the site, had “insulted Allah and the
Prophet Mohammed”, following an ar-
gument with his Pakistani employees,
who had returned to work late after
completing prayers during Ramadan,
the Islamic month of fasting, according Protesters gather at the Chinese camp from villages across the region as news
to the police report. of the alleged blasphemy spread
Supporters of a religious group, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, chant slogans Mr Tian allegedly told the men
during a rally against a woman recently arrested over blasphemy charges - AP they had spent too long praying. phemy cases were registered across hid Akram Durrani, described the leg-
Photo/K M Chaudary Protesters gathered at the Chinese Pakistan in a single month. The major- islation as “historic” and praised Paki-
camp from villages across the region as ity who faced trial were Shi’a Muslims. stan’s lawmakers for expanding the law.
MULTAN: Pakistani police arrested on Meanwhile, video footage cir- news of the alleged blasphemy spread Asia Bibi, a 52-year-old Christian It is unclear what will happen to
Friday a Muslim woman on charges of culated on social media showing the and the crowd only dispersed four woman, was sentenced to death by Mr Tian, and Beijing has yet to com-
blasphemy after she allegedly claimed woman wearing a headscarf, or hijab, hours later, after the Pakistani police hanging in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab ment on his arrest.
she was a prophet, a charge that can which is considered a sign of piousness. fired warning gunshots into the air. province after being found guilty of Public anger is running high, but
carry the death sentence under the Pakistan’s blasphemy laws pro- To ensure Mr Tian’s safety, he has blasphemy. Islamabad and Beijing are firm allies,
country's laws. scribe that anyone found guilty of in- been flown by police to Abbottabad, Ms Bibi claimed the accusations and it is unlikely that China will permit
The woman was taken into cus- sulting Islam or the Prophet Muham- about 85 miles north of Islamabad, were false and had resulted from an Pakistan to execute one of its citizens.
tody from her home in the city of mad can be sentenced to death or life where his case will be heard by an anti- argument with several other women in Beijing has invested at least £50
Faisalabad in eastern Punjab province, in prison, though the country has yet terrorist court, according to local Paki- her village over drinking water. billion in its China-Pakistan Economic
shortly after a mob had gathered out- to carry out capital punishment for stani journalists. The case triggered an outpouring Corridor, which is part of China’s Belt
side demanding that she be lynched blasphemy. of international support for Ms Bibi, and Road Initiative, and it has rolled
after news spread of her alleged claims However, just mere allegations of Mob violence but mass protests in Pakistan were in over billions of pounds worth of Paki-
of prophethood, senior police official the offense are often enough to pro- Blasphemy is considered one of favor of her receiving capital punish- stani debt to stop Islamabad defaulting
Nasir Ali Rizvi said. voke mob violence and even deadly the worst crimes in Pakistan and is ment and two senior Pakistani politi- during the worst economic crisis in the
Rizvi identified the woman as attacks. International and domestic punishable by death. cians were assassinated for advocating country’s history.
Sana Ullah and said two other people rights groups say that accusations of Typically, those found guilty lan- on her behalf. Beijing has described China and
were arrested with her. He said she blasphemy have often been used to guish on death row, with no sentence Her family went into hiding and Pakistan as “all-weather strategic co-
would be brought before a judge to face intimidate religious minorities and ever being carried out, but some of the a conservative Muslim cleric placed a operative partners”, and the two coun-
the charge against her. settle personal scores. - AP accused are lynched in mob violence. bounty of £1,415 on her head. tries have regularly conducted military
In February 2022, an angry mob Eventually, a Pakistani court exercises together on land and at sea.
killed a mentally unstable man in a re- cleared Ms Bibi, citing insufficient evi- However, it is understood that
Landslide in Khyber Pass Buries mote village in eastern Pakistan, after dence. She was flown out of the coun- China has privately expressed security
he allegedly desecrated the Qur’an in- try and has since applied for asylum in concerns over its citizens in Pakistan,
Trucks, Kills at Least Two People side a mosque. France. following a series of deadly attacks by
insurgent groups, particularly in the
Police attempted to arrest the
man, but an angry mob stoned him to Laws tightened Balochistan province, who say Chi-
PESHAWAR: A landslide during a death and hung his body from a tree. In January, Pakistan tightened its nese investment is not benefiting the
thunder and lightning storm on the Human rights organizations al- blasphemy laws to punish those who region’s residents.
main road through northwest Paki- lege the Pakistani authorities have used insulted the Prophet Muhammad’s In July 2021, work in Dasu was
stan's Khyber Pass buried more than the country’s blasphemy laws as part of wives, companions or close friends suspended for several months, follow-
20 trucks on Tuesday, killing at least a broader crackdown on the nation’s with a maximum sentence of life im- ing a suicide attack on a bus carrying
two people, with dozens more feared minorities. prisonment. Chinese nationals in the Kohistan dis-
trapped, officials said. In August 2020, at least 42 blas- The country’s deputy speaker, Za- trict, killing nine of them. - AP
"Twenty to twenty-five contain-
ers are buried in the wreckage," Abdul
Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of Rescue workers and people gather af- KARACHI: A judicial magistrate in Karachi Court Approves Ali
the Khyber district, told Reuters. "The ter trucks loaded with supplies were Karachi’s Malir District on Thursday
wreckage is quite extensive, and our trapped in a landslide on the road approved the bail of Pakistan Tehreek- Zaidi's Bail in Fraud Case
rescue operation is continuing with close to the Torkham border e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh Chapter President
heavy machinery." Ali Zaidi in a fraud case after the parties
He said two Afghan citizens had Police official Ishrat Khan said reached an “out-of-court settlement”. “I was not mistreated by the po- Zaidi, while talking to the media
been killed, and authorities were trying dozens of firefighters and rescuers Ali Zaidi's bail was approved after lice,” the PTI leader responded. On this in court, claimed that a “dangerous
to recover the bodies. Three other people were trying to save the lives of the he was presented in court following the point, his counsel also interjected and case” was registered against him.
had been taken to hospital and the num- truck drivers and other people hit by completion of his three-day physical contended that his client’s custody was “A case was registered against me
ber of casualties could rise, he added. the landslide near Afghanistan. Of- remand. “illegal” as per the situation described by a person who does not know even
The landslide took place in the ficials said the landslide was triggered At the outset of the hearing, by the police. who he is. It is not even clear whether
early hours of Tuesday on the main by lightning amid rain. He said the in- the magistrate asked the authorities The court then rejected the inves- the complainant is alive or not, but the
route connecting Pakistan with land- jured are being transported to a nearby what interrogation they carried out tigation officer’s request to extend the case was registered,” said Zaidi.
locked Afghanistan, a major transit hospital. Volunteers have also joined during the three days that Zaidi was physical remand and sent Zaidi on a Zaidi arrested in Karachi
point for trade between the South the search for survivors. Authorities in their custody. judicial remand. Last week, Zaidi was arrested in
Asian nations and into Central Asia. are dispatching heavy machinery to The investigation officer informed As soon as the court approved the the metropolis on charges of "fraud".
Photos shared by officials showed Torkham so that the massive mudslide the court that he tried tracing the cul- judicial remand Zaidi’s counsel moved According to a first information
truck containers mostly buried in huge could be removed, Khan said. prits allegedly involved with Zaidi in a bail plea in the court. report (FIR), Zaidi was arrested on
piles of rocks. - Reuters Torkham border crossing is a the fraud case. “Ali Zaidi’s bail was approved charges of “fraud and issuing threats”.
AP adds: A massive landslide trade route between Pakistan and Af- The court then asked the cop due to an out-of-court settlement. The A case was lodged at the Ibrahim Hy-
struck a key highway near the Torkham ghanistan where landslides often block where the progress report was. To complainant and Zaidi have reached an deri Police Station in the metropolis by
border town in northwestern Pakistan highways, especially in the mountain- which, the police officer responded agreement on some matters and other a citizen named Fazal Elahi.
before dawn Tuesday, burying several ous areas. Last summer, floods caused that he “forgot to attach” the report. issues will be settled after (Zaidi’s) re- He was presented in court on
trucks and injuring some people, po- by monsoon rains killed 1,739 people “Did the police torture you?” the lease,” stated Baloch. Monday and remanded in police cus-
lice and rescue officials said. in Pakistan. – AP court asked Zaidi. ‘A dangerous case’ tody for three days. – The News
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