KOHISTAN: A Chinese engineer working on the Dasu hydropower project, about 350km north of Islamabad, was arrested by the police on blasphemy charges after an angry mob gathered outside his office late Sunday.
According to information gathered by MM News, the engineer had allegedly made blasphemous remarks during a workplace dispute about the slow pace of work during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.
The unidentified employee of China Gezhouba Group Company was taken into custody by the Kohistan police “to avert a serious situation,” when scores of enraged Pakistani labourers had descended on the engineer’s office, apparently intent on attacking him for “insulting Islam.”
The situation worsened as the news of the worker’s alleged blasphemy spread to nearby villages in the mountainous Himalayan region, prompting hundreds of men to blockade the Karakoram Highway, the sole overland road connecting Pakistan to China.
Reports suggested that the chanting mob had to be restrained by police and paramilitary soldiers assigned to ensure the security of Chinese nationals working on the dam. After four hours, the protesters dispersed once officials had assured community leaders that legal action would be taken against the Chinese engineer. As a result, the Karakoram Highway was reopened just before Sehri.
Local religious leaders are set to hold a tribal council today (Monday) to decide whether to register a blasphemy complaint with the police, which would be the first step in the prosecution process.
