Clashes after Pak bishop suicide continue

FAISALABAD, May 11: Muslim militants demanding that Pakistan’s blasphemy law remain on the statute books clashed with police for the second day today.

Witnesses said a crowd of about 300 Muslims tried to march to Christian town on Faisalabad’s outskirts as tension continued after yesterday’s funeral of a bishop who killed himself to get the law repealed. Muslim traders also staged a partial strike to highlight their opposition to any change in the law, under which one man, Ayoub Masih, stands sentenced to death since April.

Many Faisalabad shops failed to open as members of the Muslim majority faith stayed home to underline their opposition to any attempt to change the blasphemy legislation.