Man killed by mob in Madyan in Swat for alleged desecration of the Quran: DPO – Pakistan

A man was killed by a mob for alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in Madyan area of ​​Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday evening, police said.

Eight people were injured during the unrest, according to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan.

He said police transferred the suspect from the alleged desecration incident to the police station, but a charging mob “attacked the police station and took the suspect away.”

“People set fire to the police station and a mobile vehicle,” said the DPO, adding that the suspect had been “set on fire”. Further details are awaited pending an ongoing investigation.

Videos circulating on social media show a crowd surrounding a burning body in the middle of the road as well as people gathered in large numbers in front of a police station. Aube.comThe correspondent contacted the police for confirmation of the images.

DPO Khan said a large police force was deployed in Madyan and was trying to control the tense situation.

Madyan is one of the famous tourist spots in Swat Valley apart from Kalam, Bahrain and other places. It is approximately 245 kilometers from the provincial capital of Peshawar.

A statement issued by PTI said KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took note of the “unfortunate” incident and contacted the provincial police chief over the matter.

Having summoned a report, he ordered the police chief to take emergency measures to control the situation. Expressing regret over the incident, the chief minister appealed to the people to remain peaceful.

“And the madness continues… We are determined to commit suicide as a society,” lamented former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Fueled by an extremist religious worldview, violence against non-Muslims in Pakistan has rapidly escalated since General Ziaul Haq made blasphemy punishable by death. Between 1927 and 1986, only 14 incidents of blasphemy were reported in what is now Pakistan. But after changes to the law, this number quickly increased.

At least 2,120 people are believed to have been accused of blasphemy between 1987 and 2022.

Last month, police rescued a Christian from an angry population in Sargodha over allegations of desecration of the Holy Quran, who died nine days later from his injuries.

In 2022, a middle-aged man was stoned to death by a mob for alleged desecration in a remote village in Khanewal district.