Rawalpindi police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Islamic cleric Mufti Hanif Qureshi on blasphemy charges.
Police registered a case under Section 298-A against the cleric on the complaint of Hafiz Shahid Mehmood and Imran Asghar, both residents of Rawalpindi.
As per the copy of the FIR, the complainants claimed that Mufti Hanif Qureshi has expressed derogatory remarks against companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), adding that his act has hurt the sentiments of Muslims.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mufti Hanif Qureshi had issued a fatwa (Islamic death opinion) for the murder of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer for alleged blasphemy, after which he was assassinated by Elite Force commando Mumtaz Qadri of his own security squad.
The majority of those accused of blasphemy in Pakistan are Muslims, but members of religious minorities face an especially acute threat, according to rights groups.
Christians, who form about 1.3 percent of Pakistan’s 250 million population, have been at particular risk, with neighborhoods in the cities of Lahore, Gojra, Jaranwala, and the capital Islamabad burned down or attacked following blasphemy allegations in recent years.