Judge throws out blasphemy case against Christian girl

Rimsha Masih, who could have been jailed for life if convicted, spent three weeks in prison after being arrested on August 16.

After being bailed in September she and her family went into hiding under government protection, fearing for their lives.

The decision to drop the case is unlikely to lead to imminent changes to Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

The prosecution said it would appeal to the country's supreme court.

Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 per cent of the population are Muslims. Under the country's penal code insulting the Prophet Mohammed can be punished by death.

In a 15-page judgement, Islamabad high court chief justice Iqbal Hameed ur Rahman threw out the case against Rimsha and urged Muslims to be "extraordinary careful" when levelling such allegations.

He said trying Rimsha would have seen the courts "used as a tool for ulterior motive" and abused "the process of law."

Defence lawyer Tahir Naveed Chaudhry said that the family was "delighted" the case had been dropped but said they "still live in fear."

There is a separate case against cleric Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, who was granted bail last month after being accused of desecrating the Koran and tampering with the evidence against Rimsha.