Women and children look at a spot where a Muslim mob lynched and burned a man over allegations that he had desecrated Islam’s holy book, the Quran, in Madyan in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (Image: AP Photo)
The mob also exchanged gunfire with the police officers in Swat.
A Muslim mob in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday broke into a police station, snatched a man who was held there and then lynched him over allegations that he had desecrated Islam’s holy book, the Quran.
The attackers also torched the station in Madyan, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and burned police vehicles parked there, according to local police official Rahim Ullah.
The slain man, Mohammad Ismail, was a tourist who was staying at a hotel in the town when some locals turned on him and accused him of blasphemy.
Ullah said police officers took the man to the station for his protection but the mob swelled and pursued them. The mob then attacked the station, snatched Ismail, beat him to death and then burned his body and left it on the road.
Additional police forces have arrived in Madyan to bring the situation under control, Ullah said.
Police on Friday registered a case against hundreds of people who attacked a police station and killed the man. Khan said Ismail was being questioned by police when the mob attacked the police station and clashed with officers.
Police have not yet arrested any of the attackers, Khan said.
Attacks on people accused of blasphemy are common in this conservative Islamic nation where charges of blasphemy can carry the death sentence. International and national rights groups say blasphemy accusations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores.
Last month, a mob in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province attacked a Christian man, Nazir Masih, 72, after accusing him of desecrating pages of Quran. He later died at a hospital.
The recent incident in Madyan, Pakistan, where a Muslim mob lynched and burned a man over allegations of desecrating the Quran, highlights the dangerous consequences of blasphemy accusations in conservative societies. The victim, Mohammad Ismail, was staying at a hotel in the town when he was accused of blasphemy and attacked by locals.
The mob broke into a police station, snatched Ismail, beat him to death, and burned his body, leaving it on the road. Police have yet to arrest any of the attackers, emphasizing the challenges of enforcing law and order in such cases.
This tragic event sheds light on the misuse of blasphemy accusations to target religious minorities and settle personal vendettas. It serves as a reminder of the need for justice and protection of all individuals, regardless of their beliefs.\
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