Blasphemy-accused girl: US finds case 'deeply disturbing'

US State Department says the case of an 11-year-old girl arrested in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy is “deeply disturbing.” According to a transcript of the press briefing, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that they are calling on the Pakistani government to have the investigation into the matter in a transparent way. In response to a question, Nuland said that they welcomed President Zardari’s statement on the matter as well as the directive to the Interior Ministry to look into the case. “We urge the government of Pakistan to protect not just its religious minority citizens, but also women and girls.” When asked about the blasphemy law, Nuland did not respond on how the law compared to other such laws. “But as a general matter, concerns that in this case, what is being touted as an abuse or an intentional act for religious purposes may, in fact, have been something else.”