HRCP says no evidence of desecration of Koran in Pak Christian couple's blasphemy murder

A day after a Christian couple in Pakistan was beaten to death by an angry mob over blasphemy charges for allegedly desecrating a copy of the Koran, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said that it has found no evidence of the desecration of the holy book.

A statement based on the findings of a fact finding team that had visited the area was released by the commission on Wednesday and said that the incident appeared to have stemmed from a dispute over wages and outstanding payments, reported The Express Tribune.

The HRCP said that Shehzad, one of the victims, had been asked by the kiln owner to repay the advance he had given to two Muslim laborers as Shehzad had introduced them to him.

The victim and his expectant wife, Salma, were beaten up and locked in a room at the kiln.

The commission said it was still waiting for the police's version.

Pakistan's local police chief said yesterday that a criminal case has been filed against at least 460 people and 48 people have been arrested. The investigation is still going on.