Thaindian News

Rawalpindi, Mar 5(ANI): A man who had been accused of blasphemy and released last year was gunned down on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, just two days after the assassination of Pakistan’s Minorities Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti in broad daylight.According to police, Mohammad Imran, who was released along with his friend Sajid Mehmood on February 13 last year, was sitting at a shop near a bus stand in Danda village when three masked gunmen attacked him.

Imran and Mehmood were booked by police in a blasphemy case in April 2009 on a complaint lodged by one Asif Fareed, who had accused them of passing ‘insulting’ remarks against the Holy Prophet during a discussion at a village café. The duo was released after the prosecution failed to produce any witness in the court.

Sub-inspector Mehmood Ahmed, head of the team investigating the murder, said that two of the attackers entered the shop owned by one Abdul Rehman, while the third stayed outside.

“After spotting their target they opened fire, killing Imran on the spot and escaped,” the Dawn quoted the sub-inspector, as saying.

Mohammad Akram, an elder brother of Imran, said in his police complaint that the attackers were those who had sent his brother to jail in a concocted case on blasphemy charges.

However, police have made no arrest so far. (ANI)