PAKISTAN: Factory Set On Fire In Pakistan After Blasphemy Allegation

A chipboard factory was set ablaze by an angry mob over allegations of blasphemy on owner and workers of the factory in Pakistan's Jhelum District on Friday.

The place of worship was located in Jhelum's Kala Gujran area which was under guard of local police forces.

The Islamists have announced Protest and March for release of one Muslim Mumtaz Qadri on death row on killing of Governor Salman Taseer after Friday prayers while government of Punjab to give them free hand not adopted security measures of worship places of religious minorities nor deployed police contingents to stop protestors from taking law in hand to please them.

Lieutenant Colonel Khurram of the Pakistan Army soon pacified the mob and they started chanting praises to the army.

The trouble started amid rumors that a senior security official of the factory had allegedly desecrated Quran. These rumours gained credibility when people started using the public address system in mosques to condemn this "blasphemous act".

Infuriated mob provoked after rumuors pertaining to blasphemy circulated in the Punjab's district Jhelum set a factory in. No casualties were reported in the arson attacks. "We registered a blasphemy case against Tahir, who is Ahmadi by faith, and arrested him after confiscating the burnt material, which also included copies of the Quran", Malik said.

"Three members of our community have been arrested by police under the charges of blasphemy".

But around 14 people living in the factory, including eight women and four children, fled to safety with the help of the administration.

This drew people not only from the neighborhood but also from a nearby village.

Hussain said a crowd had also set ablaze a factory the previous day after workers found copies of the Quran near a fireplace.

"Police were already present there and tried to disperse them by using tear gas and firing into the air, but the protesters hit back and pelted stones forcing them to run away", he said. Subsequently, three men were reportedly injured and situation was seemed to be out of control.