In Swat’s Madyan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a man was fatally attacked by a mob on Thursday night over allegations of Quran desecration, according to police reports. District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan confirmed that eight others were injured during the unrest.
Initially, police had detained the suspect linked to the alleged desecration, but a charged mob stormed the police station, leading to the suspect being seized from custody. Subsequently, both the police station and a police vehicle were set ablaze, and the suspect was subjected to fatal burning. Further details are awaited as investigations are ongoing.
Social media footage depicted scenes of a mob surrounding a burning body on a road and large gatherings outside the police station. Dawn.com’s correspondent is seeking police verification of the videos.
DPO Khan mentioned the deployment of a substantial police presence in Madyan to manage the volatile situation. Madyan is renowned as a tourist destination in the Swat Valley, situated approximately 245 kilometers from Peshawar, the provincial capital.
In response to the incident, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur termed it “unfortunate” and promptly contacted the provincial police chief for a detailed report. He instructed urgent measures to stabilize the situation and appealed to the public for calm.
Commenting on the situation, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry expressed dismay, stating, “And the madness continues… We are determined to destroy ourselves as a society.”
The escalation of violence against non-Muslims in Pakistan has been fueled by extremist religious views, particularly following the enforcement of stringent blasphemy laws during Gen Ziaul Haq’s regime. Instances of blasphemy accusations surged significantly after these legal amendments were introduced. Between 1987 and 2022, over 2,120 individuals were reported to have faced allegations of blasphemy.
Last month in Sargodha, police intervened to rescue a Christian man accused of Quran desecration, who later succumbed to injuries sustained during the ordeal. Similarly, in 2022, a middle-aged man was fatally stoned by a mob in a remote village of Khanewal district over similar allegations of desecration.
