Temple set ablaze over alleged desecration of holy book in Pak

A frenzied mob attacked a Hindu temple and set a dharmashala on fire over alleged desecration of a holy book, prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the Larkana city of Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

The protesters attacked the temple, set the dharmashala on fire last night and surrounded the house of a Hindu man who was accused of burning the pages of the holy book, prompting security forces to fire warning shots and tear gas shells.

Police said curfew has been imposed in Jinnah Bagh and some other parts of the city after mob went bersek.

"The man accused of blasphemy is a habitual drug addict and the Hindu community in Larkana can't even think of disrespecting any community's religious beliefs," Kalpana Devi, the head of the local Hindu Panchayat, told Geo News.

A local police official said that soon after news spread of the man desecrating the book, angry students and followers of local religious seminaries had started gathering in groups and demanded the man be handed over to them.

"They set on fire the main Hindu temple in the Jinnah Bagh chowk area and also completely gutted the adjoining Dharamsala," the official said.

"Curfew has now been imposed in the area with heavy patrolling by the paramilitary rangers and police who had to baton charge and use tear gas shells to disperse the mob," he said.

Larkana is the hometown of the Bhutto family and the stronghold of the ruling Pakistan People's Party.