Chinese engineer arrested in Pakistan on ‘blasphemy’ bills

By Geeta Mohan: A Chinese nationwide engaged on a dam in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan was taken into custody by native police on bills of blasphemy on Sunday night time.

The man, who’s an engineer with China Gezhouba Group Company, had a heated argument with native employees over prolonged breaks for prayers and the sluggish tempo of labor all through Ramzan, in response to native media tales.

Protests continued in Kohistan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,blocking KKH in direction of Chinese citizen, who’s working at Dassu dam enterprise,for allegedly committing blasphemy all through his argument with native labourers.
Police arrested the Chinese citizen. pic.twitter.com/JH6IVN6QxT
— Jamil Nagri (@jamilnagri) April 16, 2023

The police had been often called after an indignant mob gathered on the net website to assault the Chinese nationwide for allegedly making “blasphemous remarks” on the workplace.

ðŸ”ô 🇵🇰 ðŸ‡è🇳 #BREAKING A Chinese man engaged on a dam in Khyber Pakthunkhwa province of Pakistan arrested by police on #blasphemy bills.

Accusations surfaced after an argument with native employees over taking prolonged breaks for prayers.

Reports of protests demanding movement in direction of him. pic.twitter.com/yH26b9woFO
— South Asia Press (@SouthAsiaPress) April 17, 2023

He was deployed at a camp on the Dasu hydropower enterprise, about 350 kilometres north of Islamabad.

According to tales, the individual is being detained at a police station inside the distant Kohistan space of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Security for Chinese nationals engaged on the World Bank-financed Dasu hydropower enterprise had been tightened after 9 Chinese nationals had been killed in a July 2021 suicide bombing.

This is simply not the first time {{that a}} worldwide nationwide has been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan.

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In December 2021, Sri Lankan nationwide Priyantha Diyawadanage (48), a producing unit supervisor inside the metropolis of Sialkot, was overwhelmed to demise and his physique set on hearth over allegations of blasphemy.

Diyawadanage was killed by staff at a sports activities actions instruments manufacturing unit in Pakistan’s japanese Sialkot district the place he was a supervisor.

ALSO READ | Pakistan courtroom sentences 6 of us to demise for lynching Sri Lankan man

A tribal council meeting might be often called on Monday to resolve on whether or not or to not register a blasphemy grievance in direction of the Chinese man or not, in response to media tales.

For now, he is in defending custody to avoid any mishappening that may develop into a diplomatic incident between Pakistan and China, tales talked about.