Islamabad: In the most recent murder connected to religion in Pakistan, a crowd attacked a police station in the country's east, seized a Muslim man accused of blasphemy from detention, and killed him.
Muhammad Waris, in his mid-30s, was in police custody in Nankana Sahib, in Punjab province, for desecrating pages of the Quran. “The angry mob stormed the police station using a wooden ladder, dragged him out and beat him to death,” Waqas Khalid, a police spokesperson, said. “After lynching, they were still not satisfied and tried to burn his body,” he added.
The most well-known instance of an angry mob killing someone on blasphemy charges occurred in Pakistan in 2021 when a Sri Lankan national was lynched.
In Pakistan, blasphemy is a very touchy subject; even untrue accusations can incite violence. Blasphemy offences in Pakistan are punishable by the death penalty.
The Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, condemned the incident and ordered an investigation. “Why didn’t the police stop the violent mob? The rule of law should be ensured,” he said.
Police arrest 75
Meanwhile, over 75 suspects, including members of the radical Tehreek Laibbaik Pakistan (TLP) outfit, have been arrested for their alleged role in the lynching, police said. An FIR has been registered against over 800 suspects for killing Waris, attacking police personnel, and ransacking the police station under terrorism and different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. “So far we have arrested over 75 suspects as identification of more suspects is in the process through various mobile video and CCTV clips,” district police officer Asim Iftikhar said. He said activists of a religious outfit were also involved in the brutal killing of Waris.