A Pakistani man was arrested and charged after footage revealed the man had desecrated the Christian bible, according to reports from Saturday.
The man’s actions were brought to light when footage of him hitting the bible with a slipper emerged on X.
مسلمان شخص سرعام پاکستان میں بائبل کی توہین کر رہا ہے#foryou #foryoupage #pakistan #blasphemy pic.twitter.com/LVY8Pe8C3E
— کڑوا سچ (@kerwasuch1) September 15, 2023
In response to the video, Rawalpindi Police stated that they were “taking immediate action in this regard, has traced and arrested the accused, a case has been registered. By carrying out the investigation on merit, the accused will be punished.”
راولپنڈی پولیس نے اس بابت فوری کاروائی کرتے ہوئے ملزم کو ٹریس کرکے گرفتار کرلیا ہے، مقدمہ درج۔ میرٹ پر تفتیش عمل میں لاتے ہوئے ملزم کو قرار واقعی سزا دلوائی جائے گی۔ pic.twitter.com/Als0P2bEPD
— Rawalpindi Police (@RwpPolice) September 16, 2023
An arrest was made in relation to the incident, Dawn reported.
Intent to wound religious feelings
The media site also reported that the man was charged with invoking Section 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which pertains to uttering words with a deliberate intent to wound religious feelings.
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal termed the incident a “shameful act”.
“Where Islam teaches respect for one’s beliefs, it also teaches respect for the beliefs of others. It is the responsibility of the state to provide religious protection to its citizens,” Iqbal said.