Man accused of blasphemy lynched after mob storms Pakistani police station
- The lynching is the latest in numerous cases of religion-linked violence and vigilante action by mobs against people accused of blasphemy
- Accusations of blasphemy are frequent in the Muslim-majority country, where it is a crime under Pakistani law that can carry the death sentence
The country has seen numerous cases of vigilante action by mobs against people accused of blasphemy, one of the highest profiled ones being the lynching of a Sri Lankan national, a garment factory manager, in 2021.
On Saturday, Muhammad Waris, a man in his early 20s, was taken into police custody after a mob attacked him for allegedly desecrating the Koran, the Muslim holy book, police spokesman Muhammad Waqas told Reuters.
However, the mob stormed the station, located in the city of Nankana Sahib, took Waris out of the premises, beat him to death and attempted to set his body on fire, Waqas added.
“Police could not resist them because a handful of officials were present in the police station,” he said, adding that police reinforcements were able to stop the mob from setting the body alight, and were readying action against the crowd.
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International rights groups have long criticised Pakistani authorities for not doing enough to stem lynchings over accusations of blasphemy, which have been frequent in the Muslim-majority country. Blasphemy is also a crime under Pakistani law, which can carry the death sentence.