KARACHI: In a rare case, police in Pakistan have booked Muslim citizens for attacking and damaging a Hindu temple after a student leveled blasphemy allegations against his Hindu teacher in Ghotki, a small town in the country’s southern Sindh province, officials said on Monday.
“We have lodged a case under section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code against 45 people who were identified through video footage and have arrested two of them for attacking and damaging the temple,” Senior Superintendent Police, Dr. Farrukh Lanjar, told Arab News, adding two other cases had also been registered against the rioters for damaging shops and blocking the road.
Earlier, a case was registered against a Hindu school teacher for allegedly making objectionable remarks about the Prophet of Islam, an allegation that triggered widespread riots in the area. “A case has also been registered against the Hindu teacher under Section 295-C, which deals with derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet (PBUH),” Lanjar said.
Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code deals with offenses related to religions, prescribes punishments for “injuring or defiling places of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class.”
“Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction damage or defilement as an insult to their religion shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both,” it reads.
Section 295-B specifically prescribes punishment for defiling, damaging or desecrating the copy of Qur’an and section 295-C determines mandatory death penalty for a person using derogatory remarks for or disrespecting the Prophet of Islam.
The official said the law, which was on the statute book but hardly used for the protection of people of minority faiths, was immediately invoked in this case. “We invoked the law for the protection of minorities who are equal citizens of the country and free to practice their religion,” Lanjar said.
He added that eight people had been nabbed and raids were being conducted for apprehending others who attacked the temple and damaged properties.
“We took the religious scholars of different Islamic schools of thought to met with Hindu community leaders and apologize for what the mob had done. They stressed that such acts of vandalism were against the teachings of Islam. Those involved will be arrested, booked and severely punished,” Lanjar said.
Muslim rioters booked under blasphemy law for damaging Hindu temple
Muslim rioters booked under blasphemy law for damaging Hindu temple
- Rioting began after a student accused his school’s Hindu principal of blasphemy
- A case has also been registered against the teacher under Section 295-C
World Bank approves $700 million for Pakistan’s economic stability
- Of this, $600 million will go for federal programs and $100 million will support a provincial program in Sindh
- The results-based design ensures that resources are only disbursed once program objectives are achieved
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country’s macroeconomic stability and service delivery, the bank said on Friday.
The funds will be released under the bank’s Public Resources for Inclusive Development — Multiphase Programmatic Approach (PRID-MPA) that could provide up to $1.35 billion in total financing, according to the lender.
Of this amount, $600 million will go for federal programs and $100 million will support a provincial program in the southern Sindh province. The results-based design ensures that resources are only disbursed once program objectives are achieved.
“Pakistan’s path to inclusive, sustainable growth requires mobilizing more domestic resources and ensuring they are used efficiently and transparently to deliver results for people,” World Bank country director Bolormaa Amgaabazar said in a statement.
“Through this MPA, we are working with the Federal and Sindh governments to deliver tangible impacts— more predictable funding for schools and clinics, fairer tax systems, and stronger data for decision‑making— while safeguarding priority social and climate investments and strengthening public trust.”
The approval follows a $47.9 million World Bank grant in August to improve primary education in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province.
In November, an IMF-World Bank report, uploaded by Pakistan’s finance ministry, said Pakistan’s fragmented regulation, opaque budgeting and political capture are curbing investment and weakening revenue.
Regional tensions may surface over international financing for Pakistan. In May, Reuters reported that India would oppose World Bank funding for Pakistan, citing a senior government source in New Delhi.
“Strengthening Pakistan’s fiscal foundations is essential to restoring macroeconomic stability, delivering results and strengthening institutions,” said Tobias Akhtar Haque, Lead Country Economist for the World Bank in Pakistan.
“Through the PRID‑MPA, we are launching a coherent nationwide approach to support reforms that expand fiscal space, bolster investments in human capital and climate resilience, and strengthen revenue administration, budget execution, and statistical systems. These reforms will ensure that resources reach the frontline and deliver better outcomes for people across Pakistan with greater efficiency and accountability.”
In Sindh, the program is expected to increase provincial revenues, enhance the speed and transparency of payments, and broaden the use of data to guide provincial decision making. The program will directly support the increase of public resources for inclusive development, including more equitable and responsive financing for primary health care facilities and more funding for schools.
