Police in Punjab have charged a man and his three sons for blasphemy for their alleged altercation with the prayer leader of a local mosque (imam) in the Khodi Khushal Singh village near Lahore. The altercation took place after the 'imam' refused to announce the death of their Christian neighbour from the mosque loudspeaker.

According to local media, a first information report (FIR) was lodged against the four men at the Burki Police Station under sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carry penalties of up to two years in prison.

The incident, which took place on November 18, was reported to the police by a member of the mosque committee.

It detailed that initially, a woman had asked the local prayer leader to make the announcement. After she was told that such announcements could only be made for Muslims, she went back and informed her family.

Upon that, her husband and three sons arrived at the mosque and had a heated argument with the prayer leader over the same announcement, which resulted in the police case.

The issue went viral on social media where human rights activists condemned the incident, calling it a misuse of blasphemy laws.