ISLAMABAD: 20 June 2024 – Allegations of Blasphemy and lynching/ burning the accused by angry mobs is becoming a routine matter in Pakistan. The latest unfortunate incident took place in Madyan town of Swat KPK where a tourist Mohammad Ismail from Sialkot has been tortured and later burnt alive by the mob. Police failed to save the tourist as well as the Police station itself that has also been burnt down by the mob.
General Zia ul Haqq introduced death penalty for blasphemy in Pakistan. There were only 14 cases of Blasphemy in this territory between 1927 to 1986. After the introduction of death penalty, the number surged to 2,120 from 1987 to 2024.
Here the question is why a man who is on vacation with family including his wife and daughters and staying in a hotel will do such an act ? And that where most of the people are hard core rather extreme religion followers?
The mob severely beat the man, identified as a resident of Punjab Province, and dragged his burning naked body through the streets.His wife and daughters were saved by some kind hearted staff of the hotel. He took them to his home.
According to a local journalist in Madyan, the mob broke down the gate of the police station and entered the building. They then poured gasoline on the man and set him on fire before dragging his lifeless body as they continued to beat him.
The rioters also burned three police cars and set fire to the police station The incident started when a number of people accused the man of having burned pages of the Koran in his bag and started a fight with him.
Police initially overpowered the mob, but then authorities announced over a loudspeaker that police had rescued the man, referring to him as “the blasphemer,” and the mob then attacked the police station.
Local residents said police officers opened fired on the crowd and 11 people were injured. Police have not commented on the accusation.Residents and health authorities said three injured people have been taken to the hospital.
The situation in and around Madyan is reportedly tense. Authorities have invoked their power under Section 144 of Pakistani law to restrict people’s movement and can shoot anyone who disobeys.
A mob lynched a local tourist and set his body on fire over allegations of desecrating the holy Quran in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat on Thursday night, a police officer said.
“We had transferred the alleged accused to the police station. The enraged public attacked the police station and took the accused away, Dr Zahid the DPO shared.
Videos of the incident went viral on social media, with some users claiming that hundreds of people gathered outside the police station. They claimed that some people got injured when the police and locals exchanged fire on releasing the suspect.
Some individuals had made announcements in the marketplace that a person had desecrated the Quran in the valley’s Madyan area, locals told Aaj News on the condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
A group of people then apprehended the alleged perpetrator and handed him over to the police. Later, announcements were made from mosques and the enraged mob rushed to the police station, dragged the suspect from custody, and killed him.
The mob then set the police station on fire, as well as a police mobile van, completely destroying the station and the vehicle. The police managed to escape from the station. Additional police forces have been summoned to control the situation.
“The investigation into the alleged desecration of the Quran is under way,” the DPO said and confirmed that the mob set the police station and a mobile vehicle on fire.
At least eight people were also injured in the incident, Zahid said and confirmed the death of the blasphemy accused.A heavy police contingent has been deployed in the town as the situation was “still tense and we are trying to bring it under control,” he said.
Last month, a mob in Punjab province attacked a Christian man, Nazir Masih, 72, after accusing him of desecrating pages of Quran. He later died at a hospital in Rawalpindi.
In December 2021, a mob in Sialkot tortured a Sri Lankan manager of a local factory to death before burning his body over allegations of blasphemy.
Tazeen Akhtar
