BEIJING: China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, has urged Chinese nationals abroad to comply with local laws and customs, after a Chinese national was held in police custody in Pakistan on accusations of alleged blasphemy.
His comment came after a court ruled that the man, identified by police only as Tian, arrested on blasphemy charges be held in jail for two weeks, pending trial. Under the blasphemy laws, anyone convicted of blasphemy can be sentenced to death.
Tian was arrested on Sunday night, hours after hundreds of residents and labourers working on the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, in the town of Komela in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa blocked Karakoram Highway and rallied demanding his arrest.
Tian was part of a group of Chinese working on the dam. He was accused by labourers of blasphemy after criticising two drivers working on the project of taking too much time to pray during work hours.
Tian was whisked away and brought before a court in Abottabad, where he on Monday pleaded not guilty. He also insisted that he did not insult Islam or the prophet, said Arshad Khan, a local police officer.
Wenbin said that the Chinese embassy in Islamabad is verifying the information, and that if the incident involves Chinese nationals, the embassy will provide consular protection and assistance as required by its duty.
It is not clear from the reports whether the accused is actually Chinese or of Chinese descent.
— With input from AP
