 150 arrested for burning Christian houses in Pakistan March 10, 2013 - 16:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Police have arrested around 150 people accused of burning dozens of Christian houses in eastern Pakistan after a non-Muslim was accused of making offensive comments about Islam's Prophet Muhammad, police said Sunday, March 10 as Christians rallied against the destruction, AP reported. The Christian demonstrators blocked a main highway in Lahore and police fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters who demanded assistance from the government. Government spokesman Pervaiz Rasheed promised the government would help hem rebuild their houses, but the Christians expressed dissatisfaction with the way the government was handling the incident. The incident began on Friday after a Muslim accused a Christian man of blasphemy — an offense that in Pakistan is punished by life in prison or death. On Saturday, a mob of angry Muslims rampaged through the Christian neighborhood, burning about 170 houses. The Christian man is in police custody pending an investigation into the allegations. Those who rioted are being investigated for alleged arson, robbery, theft, and terrorism, said police officer Abdur Rehman. The Pakistani police usually arrest rioters to tamp down public anger, but those accused are rarely convicted. Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news Comedian Dan Aykroyd reveals "Ghostbusters 3" details  "The film is based on new research that's being done in particle physics by the young men and women at Columbia University," Aykroyd said.“Simpsons” writer to pen “Angry Birds” animated film Jon Vitti won an Emmy for his work on “King of the Hill,” was a longtime writer-producer on “Simpsons” and worked on “The Simpsons Movie.”Monterey Media picks up “The Citizen” drama The movie tells the story of an Arab immigrant who wins the American Green Card Lottery, arriving in New York City on Sept. 10, 2001.Claire Danes, James Marsden in "As Cool as I Am" indie trailer (video) Max Mayer ("Adam") directed from Virginia Korus Spragg's screenplay adapted from Pete Fromm's novel of the same name. |
