Mosque Leader Suspected of Framing Pakistani Teenager

The World
The World

Police in Pakistan have detained a Muslim cleric suspected of planting evidence to frame a young Christian girl for blasphemy.

Last month, 14-year-old Rimsha Masih was arrested, and accused by the Imam Khalid Chishti of carrying burned pages from an Islamic children’s textbook. She’s been in a high security prison ever since, even though she was deemed to be a juvenile with some mental impairment. Now, it turns out the cleric making the accusation may have done the deed himself.

Journalist and independent Pakistani filmmaker Beena Sarwar tells anchor Lisa Mullins that blasphemy cases in Pakistan often have to do with economic and political rivalry.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.