LARKANA- Unannounced curfew has clamped the city after reports regarding the alleged desecration of the holy Quran.

According to reports today, the man who committed the sacrilegious act, has been apprehended by the Market Police Station. The man, a Hindu youth, has been moved to a certain undisclosed location. The police allege that the arrested 32-year man was drunk when he disrespected the holy Quran. All bazaars and business activities are closed in the said areas. Security has been tightened at the worship places including temples in the city after different areas witnessed incidents of aerial firing, triggering tension.

Moreover, reports say the protesters attacked the temple, set the Dharmashala on fire yesterday night and surrounded the house of the accused, prompting security forces to fire warning shots and teargas shells.

Police said curfew has been imposed in Jinnah Bagh and some other parts of the city after mob went berserk. “The man accused of blasphemy is a habitual drug addict and the Hindu community in Larkana can’t even think of disrespecting any community’s religious beliefs,” Kalpana Devi, the head of the local Hindu Panchayat, told a private TV channel.

Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan took notice of the tense situation in the city and directed the law-enforcement agencies for expeditious steps to contain the flashpoint. The governor also directed the Inspector General of Police to file an early report over the outbreak of violence in the city.  

Taking notice of the incident, Chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari talked to Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on phone and directed him to immediately curb the situation. Meantime, Chief Minister Shah summoned a report from DIG Larkana regarding the volatile situation.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain denounced the violent situation, asserting the assaults on the properties of Hindu community, stand in stark contradiction with Islamic teachings.