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A massive nationwide police crackdown in Pakistan has arrested hundreds of leaders and militants of an Islamist party, who recently staged crippling street protests against acquittal by the Supreme Court of India. A Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy.
Authorities announced on Saturday that a majority of the arrests had occurred in Punjab province, the country's most populous, ultra-right-wing Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party base.
The crackdown began Friday night and TLP leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi was among the first detainees, as well as many MPs. The arrest of Rizvi has provoked violent clashes with the police in some areas. Police and hospital officials said several people were injured.
The religious party staged three days of paralyzing protests across the country earlier this month to denounce the highest Pakistani court that acquitted Asia Bibi, a member of the minority Christian community sentenced to death for eight years for allegedly insulting the prophet Muhammad.
TLP spokesmen insisted that the police were repressed against the party and that its leaders were trying to dissuade them from protesting the acquittal.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, however, rejected the charges and explained that Rizvi had been placed under "preventive custody" because he refused to withdraw his appeal for new street protests and that He had refused to organize the rally in a place proposed by the government.
"It is about preserving public life, property and public order and doing nothing with the Asia Bibi affair," said Chaudhry. The minister then called on the public to remain "peaceful and calm", promising that "the law will run its course and that it can not be left to individuals".
Speaking at recent protests, TLP leaders threatened the Supreme Court judges who had released Bibi and urged cooks and judges' officials to kill them. They also condemned Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistani army chief for taking sides with the court and the Christian woman.
The woman and her family are hiding after her release. Pakistani officials say she is in a safe place in the country and reject reports that Bibi has fled Pakistan.
Bibi's lawyer fled Pakistan shortly after the court's landmark ruling, saying his life was in danger.
Rizvi's party has asked the Supreme Court to review last month's decision. Some Western countries have offered asylum to Bibi and his family. The Pakistani government maintains that once the judicial process is completed, Bibi will be able to visit any country, like any free Pakistani citizen.
Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where mere allegations led to a mass lynching of the population. A provincial governor and a federal minister were murdered by extremists because they had called for reforms to the blasphemy law that provides for the death penalty for people convicted of insulting the law. Islam, or his prophet.
