Violence erupted in Lasbela district's Hub area after police refused to hand over a Hindu man suspected of blasphemy to an angry mob, it is reported, with locals resorting to pelting stones at police when their demands were not met.
Prakash Kumar, a local business owner, was suspected of sharing a picture containing allegedly blasphemous content on WhatsApp, Hub police officials said.
A First Information Report was registered against Kumar on the complaint of various community members under Sections 295-A and 295-C of Pakistan's blasphemy law. The suspect was shifted to Gaddani Central Jail
An hours-long protest outside the Hub city police station turned violent, with protesters pelting stones at police, after law enforcement officials refused the protesters' demand that police hand over the Hindu man to the community so they could administer justice themselves and 'punish' Kumar.
Hub City police dispersed the crowd of enraged protesters by through tear gas shelling and aerial firing, and took 20 protesters into custody.
Search operations are underway to arrest those suspected of inciting the mob to violence, police said.
Hub Circle Deputy Sub-Inspector Police Jan Mohammad Khosa as well as Police Constable Mukhtiar Ahmed, and Additional Deputy Commissioner Tariq Javed Mengal were injured in the violence, along with an Edhi rescue official and a child.
Shops owned by members of the Hindu community were shut down and all roads connecting Sindh to Balochistan via Hub were closed for operations until further notice.
