Daily Times: MUZAFFARABAD: Authorities in Azad Kashmir on Thursday cleared a Chinese man accused of committing blasphemy by desecrating a holy Quran, officials said.
Lee Ping, the administration manager of a Chinese consortium building a major hydropower project, was accused on May 17 of throwing the Islamic holy book on the ground, prompting hundreds of workers to attack his company offices. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the 180 million population are Muslims. Even unproven allegations can spark a violent and sometimes deadly public response.
Police took Lee into protective custody at a secret location after protests erupted at the company offices near Muzaffarabad, the main town of the disputed Himalayan region, but on Thursday he was cleared.
“Police investigation has cleared the Chinese worker of desecration of holy Quran charges,” cabinet minister Matloob Inqalabi told reporters.
“No such incident of desecration of holy Quran happened there,” he said, adding that action would be taken against the people involved in the violence.
Categories: Anti Islam act by Muslims, Asia