Pakistan court acquits Muslim cleric who accused Christian girl of blasphemy

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ANI Washington
Last Updated : Aug 18 2013 | 11:10 AM IST

A Muslim cleric, who accused a Christian girl of blasphemy, has himself been acquitted on similar charges by a Pakistan court.

The girl, Rimsha Masih, was arrested in August 2012 for allegedly burning pages containing Koranic verses but the case against her, which drew widespread international condemnation, was quashed.

Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, the cleric who made the allegations, was accused of desecrating the Koran and tampering with the evidence against Rimsha, Fox News reports.

According to the report, his lawyer, Wajid Ali Gilani, however said that the court has dismissed all charges against Chishti and has acquitted him in this case.

He added that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges while all the witnesses had withdrawn their accusations, the report said.

Rimsha, who spent three weeks on remand in one of Pakistan's toughest jails, is now living in Canada.

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First Published: Aug 18 2013 | 11:06 AM IST

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