Pak woman tortured, paraded for 'anti-Islam views'

A Christian woman was brutally tortured and paraded in the streets of a village in Pakistan's Punjab province by a mob for her alleged "anti-Islam views", local residents and police officials said on Friday.

Some 30 residents of Kot Meerath village of Sialkot district, 80 km from Lahore, dragged Seema Bibi out of her house on February 26 and paraded her in the streets after shaving her head.

She was targeted by the mob for her alleged "anti-Islam views", members of the Christian community said. Following the assault, Seema Bibi and her family left the village to save their lives, local residents said.

"She and her family had been facing threats from a group of extremist villagers. She left the village as she had no other option," said Aslam Masih, a resident of Kot Meerath.

Regional police chief Muhammad Amin told reporters that 26 people had been arrested on charges of torturing Seema Bibi and a case had been registered against them. Amin said police had no knowledge of the whereabouts of Seema Bibi and her family.

Amin said the arrested people had tortured and assaulted Seema Bibi for her beliefs.

Police had stepped up their vigil due to tensions between Muslims and Christians in the village, he said.