Furore as blasphemy vigilantes kill ‘loony’ suspect

— Police arrest 62, book over 330 on terror charges 

— Cop says the man, 41, was mentally unstable for the past 15 years

— Fawad deplores ‘radicalised, obsolete’ educational system

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered action against the police who failed to protect a man stoned to death by a mob of angry locals for purportedly desecrating the Quran in a remote village of Khanewal district late Saturday, in the latest violence focusing attention on the blasphemy laws.

The custodian of a local mosque said he saw the man, who some suggested was appeared to be suffering from mental illness, burning the holy book inside the mosque Saturday evening and told others before informing the police, according to police spokesman Chaudhry Imran.

Imran said police rushed to the scene, where a man was found surrounded by an angry crowd. Sub-Inspector Mohammad Iqbal and two subordinates tried to take custody of the man but the group began throwing stones at them, critically injuring Iqbal and slightly injuring the other two officers.

Munawar Gujjar, station house officer (SHO) of Tulamba police station, said he rushed reinforcements to the mosque but they did not arrive before the mob had stoned to death the man and hung his body from a tree.

Witnesses said a police team that reached the village before the stoning began, took custody of the man but the mob snatched him away from them and beat the police as they tried to rescue him.

I “have asked Punjab [police chief] for a report on action taken against perpetrators of the lynching in Mian Channu [and] against the police who failed in their duty”, the prime minister tweeted.

We have zero tolerance for anyone taking the law into their own hands & mob lynchings will be dealt with full severity of the law. Have asked Punjab IG for report on action taken against perpetrators of the lynching in MIan Channu & against the police who failed in their duty.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 13, 2022

“We have zero tolerance for anyone taking the law into their own hands [and] mob lynchings will be dealt with the full severity of the law.”

Gujjar said the victim was identified as Mushtaq Ahmed, 41, of a nearby village.

“The ill-fated man has been mentally unstable for the last 15 years and according to his family often went missing from home for days begging and eating whatever he could find,” he said.

He said the body was handed over to the family.

HUNT FOR PERPETRATORS UNDERWAY

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan submitted a preliminary report of the incident to Chief Minis­ter Usman Buzdar Sunday morning.

According to the report, a police case was registered against 33 suspects and 300 unidentified persons while sections related, but not limited, to terrorism were also added.

Gujjar, the SHO, said investigators were scanning available videos to try to identify the assailants.

In the report, the police said it conducted over 120 raids at various locations and detained 62 suspects, including primary suspects, while more raids were underway.

A secret police operation was carried out throughout the night, with senior police officers present in the field, it added.

The report said forensic analysis of the incident’s footage would help identify the culprits and determine their role.

The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at Tulamba police station on the complaint of Gujjar under Sections 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly of people), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 302 (intentional murder) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

The complaint said the police raiding party was also subjected to violence by the suspects due to which Iqbal suffered wounds and required medical treatment.

‘CONDEMNABLE’ INCIDENT

Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said the incident was “condemnable and should not go unpunished”.

“Punjab government must immediately take action against the police that watched it happen and the perpetrators. Laws exist — the police must enforce these laws and not allow mobs to rule the day,” she said.

The mob lynching of a man in MIan Channu is condemnable & cannot be allowed to go unpunished. Punjab govt must immed take action against the police that watched it happen & the perpetrators. Laws exist – the police must enforce these laws & not allow mobs to rule the day.

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) February 13, 2022

Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry observed he “repeatedly pointed out” the destructive extremist elements present in the country’s education system.

میں نے بارہا اپنے نظام تعلیم میں تباہ کن شدت پسندی کی طرف توجہ دلائ ہے،سیالکوٹ اور میاں چنوں جیسے واقعات عشروں سے نافذ تعلیمی نظام کا حاصل ہیں یہ مسئلہ قانون کے نفاذ کا بھی ہے اور سماج کی تنزلی کا بھی، سکول، تھانہ اور منبر اگر ان تین کی اصلاح نہ ہوئ تو بڑی تباہی کیلئے تیار رہیں

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 13, 2022

Tahir Ashrafi, an aide to the prime minister on religious affairs, condemned the killing and pledged to bring the culprits to justice. He said no one had the right to take the law into their own hands, even if a suspect was involved in an offence, including blasphemy.

The incident follows the lynching in December of a Sri Lankan manager of a sporting goods factory in Sialkot who was accused by workers of blasphemy.

The brutal killing prompted days of soul searching, and drew intense responses from politicians, celebrities and journalists on social media.

The offences relating to religion were first codified by India’s British rulers in 1860 and were expanded in 1927. Pakistan inherited these laws when it came into existence in 1947.