A member of Pakistan’s minority Ahmadi community was arrested for allegedly desecrating a Quran in southern Pakistan, police said Tuesday, the latest invocation of the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.
Tahir Ahmed was arrested Monday night in the town of Tando Allahyar, 240 kilometers northeast of Karachi, after a mob overran his residence and an Ahmadi mosque on its ground floor following the allegation.
Ahmed, who is in his forties, was said to have “roughed up” a child and thrown a copy of the Quran he was carrying, senior police officer Javed Baloch said. “We are investigating the matter,” he added.
Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims by the Pakistani government in 1974 and now suffer discrimination and violent attacks.
Sanaullah Abbassi, another senior police officer, confirmed the incident, adding: “The area remains tense and we are trying to pacify the people.” Police said local religious activists took to the streets to protest after the incident.
“The court has granted us custody of Tahir Ahmed for two weeks,” Baloch added.
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