Islamic cleric whose supporters shut down Pakistani cities over blasphemy arrested

Pakistani authorities on Friday night arrested a religious party leader whose followers have shut down major cities demanding stricter application of stringent laws on blasphemy against Islam.

The son of Khadim Hussain Rizvi, a prominent cleric and leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaikparty, said his father had been taken away in a nighttime raid on his religious school, or madrassa, in the eastern city of Lahore.

"Police raided our madrassa and arrested our revered leader," Saad Rizvi told Reuters by telephone.

The arrestcame weeks afterRizvi'ssupporters held violent rallies against the Oct. 31 acquittal of a Christian woman, AsiaBibi, by the Supreme Courtin a blasphemy case.

Bibihad been on death row since 2010 on charges of insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

It angeredRizviand his supporters, who rallied for three days.