Riots break out in Pakistan's Sindh over alleged blasphemy by Hindu school principal

Riots broke out in Pakistan's Sindh province on Sunday after a school principal from the minority Hindu community was booked on charges of alleged blasphemy, according to a media report.

Widespread protests erupted in Ghotki district after an FIR was filed against the principal of Sindh Public School on the complaint of Abdul Aziz Rajput, a student's father who claimed that the teacher had committed blasphemy.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan shared a video of protesters breaking the infrastructure of the school and expressed concern over the situation.

"Alarming reports of accusations of blasphemy in Ghotki and the outbreak of mob violence," the rights organisation said in a tweet.

Videos of stick-wielding protesters were shared on social media in which they were seen vandalising a Hindu temple and damaging the school where the incident took place, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Activists and journalists took to Twitter to share videos and images of the rioting and appealed to the Sindh government to protect the minority Hindu community, the report said.

Ghotki Senior Superintendent of Police Farrukh Lanjar, while talking to reporters, said that police were controlling the law and order situation in the area.

Sukkur Additional IGP Jamil Ahmed confirmed the worrying developments in a tweet, saying that police were "trying to deal with a serious situation".

"Yes we are trying to deal with a serious situation in a cool, calculated, impartial and professional manner. Moderate and educated sections of society must fully support our earnest efforts to do justice and maintain peace in Ghotki, please," the senior officer said.