No mistake, all those responsible will be punished with full strictness of the law: Imran Khan
Lahore:
On Friday, a Sri Lankan factory manager in Pakistan was beaten to death by a mob and set on fire, police confirmed, in an incident reported by local media in connection with allegations of abuse. forced blasphemy.
There are few issues in Pakistan that are as emotional as blasphemy, and even the slightest hint of an insult to Islam can fuel protests and incite groups.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said he would personally oversee the investigation into the “horrific vigilance attack” which he also called “a day of shame for Pakistan”.
“Make no mistake, all those responsible will be punished with the full rigor of the law,” he tweeted.
Friday’s incident took place in Sialkot, about 200 km (125 mi) southeast of the capital, Islamabad.
Some grisly video clips shared on social media showed a mob beating the victim on her stomach while chanting slogans against blasphemy.
Other clips show his body on fire, as well as the overturned wreckage of his car believed to be his.
Many in the crowd made no attempt to conceal their identities and some took selfies in front of the burning body.
Punjab government spokesman Hassaan Khawar told reporters in Lahore that police had arrested 50 people.
“CCTV footage is being carefully reviewed as we have been directed to complete the investigation within 48 hours,” he said.
Slogans chanted in social media videos were also used by supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), an anti-blasphemy party.
The TLP has previously crippled the country with protests, including with an anti-French campaign after Paris-based satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last year republished cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
It was banned only last month and its leader was released from custody after another period of civil unrest in which seven policemen were killed.
In just five years, the party has exploded in influence in Pakistan, opening a new chapter in the country’s deadly confrontation with extremism.
On Sunday, thousands of people torched a police station in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after demanding officers hand over a man accused of burning the Koran.
In April 2017, a college student Mashal Khan was angered by a mob when he was accused of posting blasphemous content online.
A burned Christian couple was then burned in a kiln in Punjab in 2014 after being accused of slandering the Koran.
A senior Pakistani official told AFP that Islamabad had been in contact with Sri Lankan diplomats about the incident “and had assured them that all those involved in the heinous crime would be brought to justice.” “.
Human rights groups say blasphemy accusations can often be used to settle individual cases, with majority targets being minorities.
Amnesty International South Asia said: “Today’s event highlights the urgency that an environment that allows abuse and puts lives at risk must be rectified,” said Amnesty International South Asia. Asia said in a tweet under the hashtag “Sialkot”, which is trending in Pakistan.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
