Hundreds of supporters from Pakistani Islamist parties on Friday rallied to protest against what they say were blasphemous remarks by the country's chief justice.
The protest call, by various religious and political groups led by hardline Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) whose rallying cry is "death to blasphemers", said that remarks by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa in a case against a member of the minority Ahmadi community were blasphemous.
The court had granted bail to an Ahmadi community member earlier this week, ruling that blasphemy charges against him did not stand. The man, accused of blasphemy for distributing Islamic literature, had been in jail for 13 months.
"We (will) monitor the sermons and protests outside mosques," said police official Abrar Hussain in the southern city of Karachi, warning the protesters to remain peaceful.
Hundreds of the protesters took to streets in the northwestern city of Peshawar, chanting slogans against the chief justice, said police official Mubarak Khan.
The top court on Thursday issued a statement after the Islamist parties and some political groups launched a campaign accusing the chief justice of deviating in his ruling from the constitutional definition of a Muslim, which excludes Ahmadis.
"This impression is absolutely wrong," the court statement said, deploring what it called a "vicious campaign" against Isa.
The campaign against Isa was also joined by some supporters and aides of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who think a ruling by the chief justice stripping Khan's party of its symbol on ballots cost them votes in an election on Feb. 8.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's information secretary Rauf Hasan did not respond to a request for a comment.
Human rights groups say Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal scores, and just accusing someone of such a crime could lead to mob justice.
Judges hesitate to take up such cases for fear of retribution, which leaves accused languishing in jail for years without cases being heard.
Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan. No one has been executed by the state for it, but numerous accused have been lynched by outraged mobs.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Mumbai Airport Dazzles In Tricolour Lights On Eve Of Independence Day
"Drugs And Kalashnikovs Have Destroyed The Country", Says Pak Chief Justice Pakistan Officials Can No Longer Use 'Sahib' As Title As Chief Justice Bans It On Lawyer's Reference To Indian Legal Precedent, Pak Chief Justice Says... 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Mob Vandalised Kolkata Doctor Rape Murder Case Crime Scene? Cops Respond Ayatollah Khamenei Warns Of "Divine Wrath" If Iran Backs Down Against Israel Oropouche Virus Kills 2 In Brazil: All About The Rare Disease Punjab Toll Plaza Blunder: Man Charged Rs 220 While Relaxing At Home NIA Probes Blast That Killed 1, Turns Out To Be Cooker Making Khichdi Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.