HYDERABAD: Members of the Christian community staged a demonstration outside the local press club here on Thursday in protest against killing of a couple by burning them alive in a brick kiln in Kot Radha Kishan of Kasur district over the alleged desecration of some pages of the Holy Quran.

Led by Bishop Yunus Gill and Parvez Akbar, the protesters carried placards and banners to condemn the incident.

They said atrocities against Christians continued in Punjab, but no authority had taken notice of it. Such incidents which continued unabated had made Christians insecure, they said.

They urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of such incidents.

They said rights bodies should intervene and appealed to international organisations to come to their rescue.

STP slams `misuse` of blasphemy laws Sindh Tarraqi-passand Party (STP) chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has said that incidents of forced conversion, murder and threats to religious minorities had become the order of the day.

He called for checking misuse of blasphemy laws.

Talking to a delegation of the STP leaders of Tharparkar district, comprising Ghansham Malhi, Shankar Baghi, Gomo Mal, Adam Hingoro and Nawaz Soomro, on Thursday, he said those incidents were taking place only to settle personal scores.

He said that mostly Hindus and Christians were targeted on the pretext of blasphemy.

He condemned the incident of Kot Radhan Kishan.

He said no religion allowe d murder or burning anyone alive.

He said the state was losing its writ, which was not in the interest of the country.

Thar drought Qaumi Awami Tehrik (QAT) president Ayaz Latif Palijo has held the PPP government responsible for drought in Tharparkar and deaths of children there.

He said the Tharparkar region was rich in biodiversity and mineral resources like coal, still its people were dying of hunger and poverty.

Talking to a delegation of QAT leaders from Tharparkar on Thursday, he said the situation was worsening with each passing day in Thar and the drought had claimed lives of countless children so far.

He said people were migrating from That to the barrage areas, adding that the government had set new records of incompetence.

He said the government was not capable of handling drought and the law and order.

Likewise, he said, it could not provide relief to people.

He said the doctors who had got seats in medical colleges on Thar quota and businessmen shouldhelp the people of Tharparkar.