(Reuters)A Chinese national who was arrested in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy has been released from a high-security prison after a court granted him bail, defense lawyer and local police said Friday. Atif Khan Jadoon, the lawyer for the man who has been only identified as Mr. Tian said the Chinese national was granted bail by a judge in the northwestern city of Abbottabad on Thursday. Tian was released after he filed a surety bond of 200,000 rupees (US$700), Jadoon said. Tian was part of a group of Chinese working on the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan. The arrest of Muslims and non-Muslims on charges of blasphemy are common in Pakistan, but foreigners are rarely among those detained.

Source: The Standard April 28, 2023 15:31 UTC