Pakistan investigates girl for blasphemy

Pakistani authorities have arrested a Christian girl and are investigating whether she violated the country’s strict blasphemy laws after neighbours surrounded her house and demanded police take action, according to a police officer.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Pakistani authorities have arrested a Christian girl and are investigating whether she violated the country’s strict blasphemy laws after neighbours surrounded her house and demanded police take action, according to a police officer.Zabi Ullah, a Pakistani police officer, said on Monday that the girl was arrested on Thursday after hundreds of residents angry over reports she had allegedly burned religious papers gathered outside her house in Islamabad.There were varying reports on the girl’s age. Zabi Ullah said she was 16 while other officials have said she was either 12 or 11.He said the police took the girl to the police station, and that she has been held for 14 days while authorities investigate."About 500-600 people had gathered outside her house in Islamabad, and they were very emotional, angry and they might have harmed her if we had not quickly reacted,” he said.