A man was killed by a mob in the Madyan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Thursday night following allegations of desecrating the Holy Quran, according to local police.
Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan reported that eight people were injured in the ensuing unrest. The police had initially taken the suspect into custody, but a charged mob attacked the police station and seized him.
“People set fire to the police station and a mobile vehicle”, DPO Khan said, adding that the suspect was subsequently “torched”. An investigation is currently underway, with more details expected to emerge.
Social media videos show a mob surrounding a burning body in the middle of a road, as well as large crowds gathered outside a police station.
This incident adds to a concerning trend of violence related to blasphemy allegations in Pakistan. Statistics show a significant increase in blasphemy accusations since the law was changed to make it punishable by death under Gen Ziaul Haq’s regime. Between 1987 and 2022, at least 2,120 persons were reported to have been accused of blasphemy.
Recent similar incidents include the death of a Christian man in Sargodha last month following allegations of Quran desecration, and a man stoned to death in Khanewal district in 2022 over similar accusations.