Photo has been used for representation only. , photo credit: AFP
A Muslim man was beaten to death by a mob of youths in Pakistan on Saturday, police said, after the victim was accused of blasphemy, the latest killing linked to religious sensitivities in the country.
Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can incite mobs and violence.
Hundreds of youths stormed the police station where he was kept for his own protection in Nankana Sahib district of Punjab province, some 80 kilometers from the eastern city of Lahore.
Police said they injured officers and ransacked the facility before beating the man to death.
Officials said the victim, in his mid-30s, was accused of desecrating the Muslim holy book Quran.
“The mob stormed the police station and beat the man to death,” local police spokesman Waqas Khalid told AFP.
“After killing him, they tried to set his body on fire,” he added.
Mr Khalid said authorities were working to identify the assailants responsible for the man’s death.
Videos shared on social media showed hundreds of youths surrounding the police compound, with a man scaling a high gate using a ladder and unlocking it.
After this the mob entered inside and broke the glass.
Rights groups say blasphemy charges are often used in Pakistan to settle personal vendettas, with minorities being largely targeted.
In December 2021 a Sri Lankan factory manager working in the country was lynched and set on fire by a mob on charges of blasphemy.
Six years ago, a mob beat university student Mashal Khan to death after he was accused of posting blasphemous material online.
In 2014, a Christian couple was also beaten to death in Punjab after being falsely accused of desecrating the Quran, and their remains were burnt in a kiln.