https://twitter.com/TenzilaMazhar/status/1647695676149571587
A large number of locals in Barseen came out on the streets to demand the arrest of a Chinese national after the news spread in the region that he had allegedly committed blasphemy. According to videos surfacing on social media, they can be heard chanting angry religious slogans and demanding violent punishment be meted out to the "blasphemer". However, the exact circumstances or nature of the accusations are unclear. While official investigations are ongoing, well-informed sources say there is little evidence to substantiate the allegation.
Nevertheless, angry protesters gathered outside the Chinese workers’ camp and attempted to march into it. At failing to do so, they pelted it with stones.
https://twitter.com/TajudenSoroush/status/1647702762476511233
Security forces then reportedly fired shots in the air to deter the protesters, according to local sources. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck for hours due to the road being blocked by the protesters.
The Chinese national who is the subject of this accusation has been taken into protective custody, as Pakistan is known for religious intolerance that results in mob lynching of anyone accused of blasphemy, which is never proven in almost all cases. A first information report (FIR) of the incident has been lodged under Section 295-C of the relevant penal code, and images of the Chinese citizen (identified as Mr. Tian) behind bars are also circulating on social media.
Chinese engineers and laborers are working on various power projects in the Kohistan and Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework, touted as the "flagship" of China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
However, the CPEC is coming under intense scrutiny as Pakistan has failed to capitalise on inward investments, while it is also struggling to repay Chinese loans. At the same time, Chinese nationals and workers are being increasingly targeted in terror attacks, and have to follow strict security procedures while in Pakistan.
Pakistan's draconian blasphemy law has for long been weaponised to settle personal scores, as well as to oppress minorities and even Muslims in the Islamic country. The blasphemy law in Pakistan is no longer a statutory tool to prevent blasphemy or discourage and penalise violators, but has itself become one of the most embarrassing examples of colonial-era religious laws being enforced by a modern-day republic to the benefit of no-one.
In December 2021, Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara was lynched by a violent mob in Sialkot after he was accused of blasphemy: investigations later revealed the actual cause was most likely a personal vendetta. The incident drew widespread condemnation and international outrage, but did little to force Pakistanis to address rising religious extremism and pervasive intolerance across its social echelons.
In April 2022, six Pakistanis accused of instigating the mob that killed Kumara were sentenced to death. However, vigilante justice enacted by bloodthirsty mobs, who are aggravated by perceived insults to religious beliefs and icons, remain a serious problem for tolerance and harmony in Pakistan's social fabric.
In February this year, a charged mob overran a police station in Nankana Sahib, forced the police personnel to abandon their posts, and then proceeded to violently beat a Muslim male accused of blasphemy to death.