A Hindu veterinarian was taken into custody on Monday in Pakistan’s Sindh province, after the head cleric of the local mosque, Maulvi Ishaq Nohri, filed a police complaint accusing the vet of committing blasphemy, SAMAA TV reported.
Ramesh Kumar, who was working as a vet, was accused of using pages of a holy book to wrap medicine, according to local reports.
The punishment for such actions in Pakistan ranges from three months in jail and a fine up to a life sentence.
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In response to the incident, unrest broke out as protesters started to set fire to shops owned by Hindus and burn tyres.
According to reports, almost 1,500 have been charged with blasphemy in Pakistan between 1987 and 2016.
A #Hindu doctor, Ramesh Kumar was accussed of #blasphemy by a mullah for allegedly burning Holy Quran in Phuldiyoon, Sindh
— Shoaib Iqbal (@IqShoaib) May 27, 2019
This led to a mob attack where they set fire to the shops owned by #Hindus while the doctor has been arrested by the police.#ZeroToleranceForExtremists pic.twitter.com/unEeggTFaZ
A large number of Hindus live in Sindh province and in Karachi.
