PESHAWAR – As Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf hold rallies in parts of the country on Saturday, a horrific incident in one of the rallies of the former ruling party made headlines as a brutal mob lynched a man after accusing him of blasphemy.
Local police officials told the media that the incident occurred on Saturday evening when PTI activists and leaders took to the streets in Mardan.
The police chief said the man, identified as Nigar Alam — a resident of Shirin Kot in Nowshehra, visited Mardan to join PTI on Saturday and participated in the rally but he made some contentious statements while leading a dua on the stage at the end of the rally, which were considered blasphemous by masses.
Horrific clips were shared on social media platforms showing hundreds of people kicking and beating him with sticks. Police reportedly were present at the rally, but failed to stop the charged members, who even tried to torch the corpse. Later, police took the dead body into custody.
The anger and grief over another mass lynching due to alleged blasphemy was evident on social media, where activists call for action. #Mardan and other trends are currently trending on Twitter and other platforms.
Mob lynching over blasphemy accusations are common in South Asian country as distressed people take matters into their own hands despite the fact that blasphemy is punishable by the death penalty under the country’s existing laws.
Last month, a Chinese engineer was detained after workers at Dasu dam’s construction site accused him of blasphemy.
