Interpreter Of Arrested Chinese Engineer Backtracks On Blasphemy Allegations

The interpreter of the arrested Chinese man accused of blasphemy in Kohistan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has backtracked from his claims that ignited the incident, saying that he was “doubtful” of what sacrilegious remarks the foreigner had uttered.

The Chinese man was taken into police custody two days ago after an angry mob gathered outside his office to attack him, for allegedly making blasphemous remarks during a workplace argument.

The engineer was accused of blasphemous remarks during a workplace dispute about the slow pace of work during Ramzan, the Islamic month of fasting.

People in protest had also blocked the Karakoram Highway, the sole overland road connecting Pakistan to China, as the news of the engineer’s alleged blasphemy spread to neighbouring villages.

The man was produced before an anti-terrorism court late Monday where he denied the blasphemy allegations. The court sent the man to jail on a 14-day judicial remand

During the police investigation, interpreter, Mohammad Yasir, on whose testimony a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against the Chinese engineer said that he was “doubtful” of what sacrilegious remarks the Chinese man had uttered.

He claimed that labourers who accompanied him during the incident that led to the alleged blasphemy were compelling Yasir to stand firm on his previous stance, Dawn reported.

The arrested Chinese man has denied the blasphemy accusations.

In December 2021, Sri Lankan man, Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, working in Pakistan for 11 years was lynched by a mob over blasphemy allegations.

Kumara was beaten, killed and later set on fire by a mob in Sialkot. An Anti-Terrorism Court awarded death sentences to six convicts.

Blasphemy law is often used in Pakistan to settle personal disputes or target religious minorities.

News Desk