A man was arrested and booked in Rawalpindi on Saturday for desecrating the Bible, the holy book of the Christian faith. The incident came to light after a video surfaced on Twitter, showing the man insulting the Bible with a slipper.
Rawalpindi police swiftly traced and apprehended the suspect through prompt law enforcement action. The police promised that the suspect would receive exemplary punishment following a thorough and merit-based investigation.
Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer Syed Khurram Ali confirmed to Dawn.com that the arrest was made earlier in the day. He stated that the suspect would be presented in court on Sunday to secure his physical remand, allowing the interrogation process to commence.
A case was filed at the Morgah police station based on a complaint lodged by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Naveed Aslam. The case invoked Section 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which pertains to uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings. In the first information report, ASI Aslam explained that he saw a viral video on social media in which an individual was seen disrespecting Christianity and the Bible.
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal condemned the incident, calling it a “shameful act.” He emphasized that Islam teaches respect for one’s beliefs as well as the beliefs of others. Iqbal stressed the responsibility of the state to provide religious protection to its citizens and called for society to collectively eliminate such behavior.
