CHITRAL – A violent mob attacked a man and beat him brutally inside a mosque in Chitral after he allegedly uttered blasphemous statements following Friday prayers.
The man, who is yet to be identified, pushed the imam of the mosque to allow him to speak after Jummah prayers, an eye witness was quoted by Dawn News as saying.
Despite not being granted explicit permission to do so, the man stood and began uttering blasphemous statements, the eyewitness alleged.
As worshipers started beating the man, the mosque’s imam, fearing for the man’s life, handed him over to the police.
The man was taken to the local police station, where his mental health was being ascertained.
Soon after the accused was shifted, thousands of people gathered and broke into the police station amid aerial firing and heavy tear gas shelling from the police. The firing resulted in power outages nearby as transmission lines were damaged by bullets.
The situation remained volatile, police said, while they attempted to cool the mob down and restore peace in the area.
The Frontier Corps reached the police station to assist with maintaining law and order, a police official said, adding that “3,000 to 4,000 people” were still present outside the police station.
The incident comes days after a vigilante mob lynched 23-year-old Mardan university student Mashal Khan over allegations of blasphemy.
The incident comes days after a vigilante mob lynched 23-year-old Mardan university student Mashal Khan over allegations of blasphemy.
