A man was brutally tortured and killed by a violent mob when accused of allegedly burning pages of the Holy Quran in a village in Khanewal, Punjab on Saturday.
The incident took place in a village called Mian Channu after Maghrib prayers. Thousands of people gathered after the announcement was made that a man had torn some of the pages of the Holy Quran and set them on fire in a mosque.
People were not ready to tho listen to the mentally handicapped man who reportedly claimed innocence. People hanged him on a tree and then threw stones and bricks until he took his last breath.
Local police came to the spot after receiving a call from a villager. They reached to arrest suspects but villagers started stoning them when they tried to release the man. The violent mob grabbed him from police’s custody and continued beating him.
The victim’s elder brother revealed that the victim had been mentally ill for about 17 to18 years and was living with another brother in Karachi. He also had remained hospitalised for treatment but he could not recover. His wife also divorced him because of his illness. He had two sons and a daughter.
He further added, “He went to buy some cigarettes and did not turn up till evening and they later learned that he was killed on blasphemy charges.”
While talking to Dawn News, he claimed that neighbours also knew about his mental condition. He said that the violent mob stoned his brother to death in the presence of police and they did not protect his brother from the mob. He also complained that his brother’s fingers were missing after the frightful incident.
Police claimed that they have arrested 85 suspects after they conducted more than 120 raids on Sunday.
The police have registered two First Investigation Reports (FIR) for alleged blasphemy under Section 295-B of Pakistan Penal Code and the second one related to the lynching under Sections 302, 353, 186, 148, 149 of the PPC and Section 7A of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
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Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi soon after arriving at Khanewal Circuit House, condemned the incident and said no one should take the law into their hands.
He emphasised that there are laws to protect religion and against blasphemy. Such matters should be reported to the police and let them proceed under the law.
Prime Minister, Imran Khan condemned the tragic incident on his Twitter. He ordered a detailed report from the Punjab police chief. He directed authorities to take strict against the perpetrators of the lynching incident.
Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari also condemned the incident and asked the Punjab government to take strict action against the assailants involved.
Netizens also criticised Mazari for not taking enough efforts to prevent such tragic incidents. They are saying that tweets are not enough to stop such brutality.
Some users questioned the appreciation award which was given to Shireen Mazari by Prime Minister Imran Khan last week, and how it wasn’t well deserved.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also strongly condemned the incident.
“The tragedy of Mian Channu has once again humiliated the entire nation,” he said.
The deceased victim was buried in Mian Channu on Sunday.
