Pakistan Railway Minister Offers $100,000 Reward For Killing of Anti-Islam Filmmaker

Pakistan Railway Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour on Saturday announced a $100,000 reward for anyone who kills the producer of "Innocence of Muslims", the anti-Islam film which triggered protests in the Muslim world, Reuters reported.  

During a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Bilour said that he would pay the bounty from his own pocket for carrying out the "sacred duty".

"I announce today that this blasphemer, this sinner who has spoken nonsense about the holy Prophet, anyone who murders him, I will reward him with $100, 000," Bilour said in a news conference. "I invite the Taliban brothers and the al-Qaida brothers to join me in this blessed mission.

"I call upon these countries and say: Yes, freedom of expression is there, but you should make laws regarding people insulting our Prophet. And if you don't, then the future will be extremely dangerous," BBC quoted Bilour as saying.

The Pakistan government has disassociated itself from Bilour's statement and said that it was thinking of taking action against the minister. 

"He is not a member of the PPP (Pakistan People's Party), he is an ANP politician and therefore the prime minister will speak to the head of the ANP to decide the next step. They are not ruling out action against him but say he will stay in his post for now," Shafqat Jalil, spokesman for the prime minister's office, told BBC.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the man believed to be the film's producer, was questioned by the authorities last week. He was later released in an undisclosed location and has been in hiding ever since the unrest began across parts of the Muslim world.

The railway minister's statement came a day after 21 people were killed and at least 195 were injured in the anti-Islam film protests in Pakistan.

On Friday, the government called for a "special day of love" for Prophet Muhammad, but demonstrations turned violent in Karachi and Peshawar.