Blasphemy case for 'desecrating' Sikh man's turban in Pakistan

Islamabad, May 2: Five employees of a transport company and the owner of a bus termil were booked under blasphemy law for desecrating a Sikh passenger’s turban in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the media reported on Monday. The complaint, Mahinder Paal Singh (29), a resident of Multan, told Dawn online that he was travelling from Faisalabad to Multan by a bus owned by Kohistan-Faisal Movers company that broke down near Dijkot.

He said though the driver somehow started the bus again but its speed was very slow (around 30km per hour). He said that he and some of his fellow passengers complained to the transport company’s staff about the slow speed of the bus and demanded an altertive vehicle for the onward journey.

The two sides exchanged words, ensuing a free-for-all, during which the six accused manhandled the passengers, including Singh. He alleged that during the fight a bus termil hawker, Rashid Gujjar, threw his turban on the ground. Singh said the turban was considered sacred in the Sikh religious code and throwing it on the ground was tantamount to desecration. (IANS)