KOHISTAN: A Chinese national arrested on blasphemy charges in Kohistan has denied uttering blasphemous words that could hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
The man, identified only as Mr Tian, was taken into custody on Sunday night after a mob accused him of committing blasphemy and kept at Police Lines in Abbottabad for security reasons.
During his interrogation by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), Mr Tian claimed that he could not think of offending sentiments of Pakistanis and Muslims, and that whatever he has been facing here is nothing but a lie.
The police team investigating the case suspected the interpreter, Mohammad Yasir, on whose testimony the First Information Report (FIR) was lodged, who told the police team that he was “doubtful” of what sacrilegious remarks the Chinese man had uttered.
Yasir claimed that the labourers who accompanied him during the incident that led to the alleged blasphemy were compelling him to stand firm on his previous stance. An FIR was registered by Kamila police, Upper Kohistan, under Sections 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
There are reports suggesting that the Chinese national would probably be produced before an anti-terrorism court in Abbottabad on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday that its mission in Islamabad was verifying the situation regarding its national. The ministry’s spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said at Tuesday’s news briefing that “The Chinese government has always required overseas Chinese citizens to abide by the laws and regulations of the host country and respect local customs. If this issue does involve a Chinese citizen, the embassy will provide consular protection and assistance within the scope of its duties.”
