The Interior Ministry has asked the Islamabad police to oppose the bail request of Rimsha Masih, an 11-year-old Christian girl accused of burning pages of the Holy Quran, on the pretext that her release would put the lives of Rimsha and her family in danger, BBC Urdu reported on Saturday.
According to the report, the Interior Ministry has also asked the Islamabad police not to arrest any person involved in the violent demonstrations against the minor girl.
An Interior Ministry official, asking not to be named, told BBC Urdu that the Intelligence Bureau and the Special Branch of the Islamabad Police had informed the Interior Ministry in writing that there was serious threat to the lives of the Christian family if the girl, reportedly suffering from Down Syndrome, was released on bail.
The official said that Rimsha was more safe in jail and the administration should keep her in custody until the matter was fully resolved and public sentiment ‘cools down’. The report said that the matter could turn more serious if it was tried to resolve in haste.
Investigating officer of the case, Munir Hussain Jaffery told BBC Urdu that the police prosecution branch had not received any notice from the court regarding Rimsha’s bail application, the hearing for which has been scheduled for August 30.
The BBC Urdu report said that the Islamabad Police had sent a preliminary report to the Interior Ministry which said that Rimsha could not read or write but she had admitted to setting the holy pages on fire. The police have also decided to set up a medical board to ascertain the age and mental health of the accused minor girl.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Farasat Ali Khan told BBC Urdu that the police had asked the Polyclinic Hospital to form a medical board and Rimsha would be presented for examination before them on August 27 (Monday). The board will present its report within one week, he added.