A man was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of blasphemy at a rally for former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s party, officials said Sunday.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can stir mobs and violence.
Video of the lynching has been shared widely on social media, with police seen vainly trying to stop a frenzied mob from beating the man.
The incident took place on Saturday in the Sawal Dher area of Mardan City in the country’s ultra-conservative northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
Police said a man identified as Nigar Alam was asked to deliver the concluding prayer at a rally organised by Mr. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party when the crowd took offence to his comments.
He managed to flee the scene, police said, but a mob tracked him down to a relative’s house.
more at source
A Muslim religious leader has been beaten to death in Pakistan for allegedly making ‘blasphemous remarks’ during a speech at a rally for Imran Khan’s opposition PTI party ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/KPi7opmvXt
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 7, 2023
