The troops have cordoned off the Christian colony, blocking all entry and exit points with barbed wire.

A government committee found that the 'unintended consequences of the blanket ban... outweigh its benefits', the order says.

The Wikimedia Foundation – the non-profit fund managing Wikipedia – says the block 'denies the fifth most populous nation in the world access to the largest free knowledge repository'.

The drinks promotion at the 'Holywings' chain prompted a police investigation after complaints by religious groups.

Several youth organisations reported the management to police for allegedly committing blasphemy, while other groups threatened to raid the bar chain's locations.

Muslim youths took to the streets of the city, lighting bonfires and demanding the release of the two detained suspects.

The lynching happened after it was alleged that the victim had burned some pages of the Quran.

Local media say the incident was linked to alleged blasphemy, a galvanising issue in Pakistan where even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests and incite lynchings.

The mob was enraged after a boy aged eight, accused of blasphemy, was released on bail.

The case addressed sensitive issues in France, from the effects of cyberbullying to attitudes to religious minorities.

Blasphemy is a deeply emotive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan and is legally punishable by death.

A secular appeals court overturned the shariah court's sentence, saying the child was just a minor.