Condemning the mob lynching incident in Swat, Pakistan Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi stated that the practice of acting as judge and jury must end.
During a press conference on Sunday, Ashrafi highlighted the recent case where a person was burned in Swat under the pretext of protecting the Holy Quran, emphasizing that the Quran equates killing an innocent person with killing all of humanity.
He asserted that no one should be empowered to act as plaintiff, judge, and executioner in the same case.
Citing the misuse of religious sentiments, he recalled the burning of Joseph Colony in Lahore, where all accused were acquitted, tarnishing the image of Islam and Pakistan.
Ashrafi lamented that well-known culprits often went unpunished while the lengthy prosecution process turned accused individuals into heroes.
He called on the Chief Justice of Pakistan to prioritize blasphemy cases over political cases and those involving VVIPs for a week to ensure timely punishment for the guilty and the release of the innocent.
