QUETTA: The law-and-order situation in Quetta, Balochistan‘s capital, remains precarious as the metropolis witnessed protests by a right-wing group demanding authorities’ hand over a suspected blasphemy suspect.
Quetta police arrested a person after registering a case against him on charges of blasphemy. Party members allegedly set tires on fire and blocked the key Western Bypass and staged rallies across the city.
During the protests, the angry people also threw a hand grenade at the Kharotabad police station while insisting on the release of the accused. The grenade exploded outside the building and fortunately no policemen or civilians were injured.
A case was registered against the accused soon after the allegations came to light, leading to his arrest, a senior police official confirmed. The case concerns a local resident of the southwestern region of the country who allegedly used derogatory language about Islamic figures and an audiotape of it went viral, sparking widespread outrage and protests.
Protesters erected barricades on the Western Bypass and rallied in front of the police station, shouting slogans and demanding that the accused be handed over so that they can determine his fate.
The police informed the crowd that an FIR has been registered under Sections 295C and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and investigations are on. Later, senior police officials managed to evacuate the area and reopen the Western Bypass after negotiations.
