14 December 2010

Doctor arrested for blasphemy over discarded business card

A doctor has been arrested on suspicion of violating Pakistan's contentious blasphemy law by discarding a business card of a man who shared the name of Islam's prophet, Muhammad, police say.

Naushad Valiyani, a Muslim doctor in the southern city of Hyderabad, was arrested on Friday after a complaint was lodged with police alleging his actions had insulted the Prophet Muhammad, said the regional police chief, Mushtaq Shah.

The case began when Muhammad Faizan, a pharmaceutical company representative, visited Dr Valiyani's clinic and handed out his business card. He said when the doctor threw the card away, he went to police and filed a complaint that noted his name was the same as the prophet's. Mr Shah said police were investigating whether the doctor should be charged with blasphemy. [Sydney Morning Herald] Read more