Protest erupts in Abbottabad following blasphemy charges against inmate

A prisoner at Abbottabad prison was attacked by fellow inmates after he was accused of burning the Holy Quran, SAMAA Digital has learnt.

The accused was jailed in 2019 on charges of blasphemy, said the FIR. The FIR, registered by a jail official at the City Police Station, said the man burned the Holy Quran and the charred pages were found by a jail constable.

A jail official, requesting anonymity, said that the accused was mentally unstable and was kept in a separate cell. He had been, the official said, at a psychiatric facility for a few weeks inside the prison.

His fellow inmates tried to lynch him but the jail personnel managed to protect him and shifted him to an undisclosed location.

In the city, protesters blocked roads and shut businesses after the incident. The jail authorities had to deploy additional security after a mob attempted to enter the prison.

A heavy contingent of police was posted on several roads in Abbottabad to maintain the law and order.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/02/protest-erupts-in-abbottabad-following-blasphemy-charges-against-inmate/