Crowd sets fire to Hindu center in Pakistan

Karachi: Police say a crowd set fire to a Hindu community center in southern Pakistan after allegations circulated that a Hindu had desecrated Islam's holy book.

Police officer Anwar Laghari on Sunday said that the incident took place overnight in the city of Larkana, after some people said they saw burned pages of the Quran in a garbage bin near the home of a Hindu man.

A crowd of 200 gathered and attacked the community center, which was next to a Hindu temple.

Leghari said the building was partly gutted and the alleged desecrater was taken into protective custody.

Violence triggered by allegations of blasphemy is common in conservative Pakistan. Militants in the Sunni Muslim-majority state have also targeted religious minorities.