Pakistani man arrested for blasphemy after selling shoes with Hindu symbol
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 20 June 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistani man arrested for blasphemy after selling shoes with Hindu symbol, 20 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57a43beb24.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 20, 2016
Pakistani police have arrested a man under the majority-Muslim country's strict blasphemy laws for selling shoes with a sacred Hindu symbol.
District Police Chief Farrukh Ali said the shopkeeper, Jahanzaib Khaskhili, was arrested on June 20 in the southern town of Tando Adam.
Ali said the shoes, emblazoned with a symbol for the sacred Hindu syllable Om, were confiscated.
If convicted, the shopkeeper faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.
Leaders of the Hindu community, including Punjabi Sikhs who worship the symbol itself as a deity, called for the shopkeeper to be arrested under Pakistan's blasphemy legislation.
Pakistan's blasphemy laws are usually enforced against people accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam or willfully desecrating the Koran.
Critics have said the laws are unfairly applied and often used to settle personal scores.
Based on reporting by Reuters and BBC
Link to original story on RFE/RL website