Pakistani Cleric Charged With Planting Blasphemy Evidence Acquitted For Lack of Witnesses

In a widely-followed case in Pakistan last year, a court dismissed blasphemy charges that had been brought against a Christian girl, Rimsha Masih, after it appeared that a local mullah had planted charred pages from a Qur'an in the other papers that Masih was carrying in order to strengthen the case against her. (See prior posting.) Subsequently police arrested the mullah, Khalid Jadoon, and charged him with blasphemy for tearing out the pages he planted.  However, Pakistan Today reports that on Saturday, Jadoon was acquitted for lack of evidence. All the witnesses in the proceedings retracted their prior statements against Jadoon.