Hindu teenager arrested on blasphemy charges in Pakistan after posting controversial content on internet
The hindu teenager was arrested from Mirwah Gorchani area in Sindh province after local prayer leader Mohammad Anwar Soomro filed a complaint against him
Karachi: A 19-year-old Hindu boy has been arrested for allegedly posting blasphemous content on social media in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, a media report said Wednesday.
The teenager was arrested from Mirpur Khas' Mirwah Gorchani area in the province Tuesday after local prayer leader Mohammad Anwar Soomro filed a complaint against him, Dawn newspaper reported.
Soomro alleged that the suspect had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims by posting 'highly controversial' posts on his Facebook account starting 30 July.
Representational image. AFP
According to the paper, a case was filed against the boy under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code on the orders of Mirpur Khas Senior Superintendent Police Abid Ali Baloch.
The Section 295-A deals with the deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting a religion or religious beliefs. If found guilty, a person can be jailed up to 10 years.
The suspect was sent on a 14-day judicial remand, soon after his arrest.
Advocate Kashif Bajeer, a human rights activist in the area, demanded a thorough probe into the matter.
The residents of Mirwah Gorchani claimed that the suspect had been upset after his teenage sister had embraced Islam a few days ago. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.
According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows.
also read
Will not allow anyone to harm iron-clad Pakistan-China ties, says Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto
Bilawal reiterated his strong condemnation of Karachi terrorist attack and reaffirmed the Government's commitment to thoroughly investigate the incident
The killing of two Sikhs shows Pakistan's continued persecution of minorities
Data from the 2017 Census shows that while Muslims make up 96.2 per cent of Pakistan's population, Hindus are only 1.6 per cent, Christians 1.59 per cent, Scheduled Castes 0.25 per cent, Ahmadis 0.22 per cent, and other minorities 0.07 per cent. There are countless incidents of minorities having to face rapes, forced conversions, murder and destruction of their property
Pakistan: 1 killed, 13 injured in Karachi blast, second explosion in over two weeks
Last month, a suicide bomber killed three Chinese teachers and their Pakistani driver when she detonated her explosives inside a university campus in Karachi