Protests continue across Pakistan over arrest of TLP leader

Protests have continued for the second day across Pakistan against the arrest of a far-right Muslim leader who heads a party known for holding mass demonstrations on the issue of perceived “blasphemy”.

Demonstrators blocked roads in several major Pakistani cities on Tuesday, including the country’s largest city of Karachi, the eastern city of Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The scale of the demonstrations had reduced from a day earlier, when they were sparked by the arrest of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Saad Rizvi in Lahore on unspecified charges.

On Monday, authorities had shut down main intercity highways in the central province of Punjab and elsewhere, as demonstrators took to the streets to protest against Rizvi’s arrest.

Clashes between police and protesters were reported from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and several other smaller cities. Police fired tear gas and water cannon in attempts to disperse the protesters, who fought back in some places by throwing stones.

Local media, citing local officials, reported that at least two people had been killed in the overnight violence, but Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the death toll. Injuries to protesters and police officers were also reported from several cities.

Most highways had reopened on Tuesday, although limited road closures continued to affect the capital Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.

The TLP has held several large-scale demonstrations on the issue of perceived “blasphemy”, a sensitive topic in Pakistan that can elicit widespread anger and can sometimes lead to violence.

Since 1990, at least 78 people have been murdered in connection with blasphemy allegations, according to an Al Jazeera tally.

Source: aljazeera.com

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