Pakistan: Christian 'Burns Koran to Make Tea, Faces Blasphemy Charge'

A Pakistani national of Christian faith has been arrested on charges of blasphemy in the Lahore region of the country, it has been reported.

According to the Express Tribune, Khurram Masih, who stays in Majeed Park, Shahdara Town, faces charges under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly burning pages of the Koran. Earlier, a crowd blocked a busy road in the area demanding Masih be arrested for blasphemy, following which the arrest took place, the report said.

According to the newspaper, a mob comprising a thousand people wielding sticks laid siege on GT Road at Shahdara Chowk. They attacked several vehicles and even ransacked the local police station demanding the arrest of Masih, who is staying at a rented property in the area.

Zulfiqar Ali, the owner of the property where Masih is staying with his wife, lodged a complaint with the local police. A neighbour told Ali that Masih had burnt pages of the holy text to light a fire to make tea, according to the paper.

Ali told the Express Tribune he visited the house after learning of the incident and found burnt pages of the Koran with Arabic verses on them. The couple initially tried to flee but was later arrested from the house of a relative nearby, the report said.

Police later told the paper that Masih's wife had been released after interrogation as she had no role in the incident. She was asleep when Masih made tea, the police said.