Police in Pakistan have apprehended 23 individuals accused of participating in a mob that resulted in the death of a man suspected of desecrating the Quran, Islam’s holy book. Officials confirmed the arrests on Monday, stating that the suspects face charges of murder and setting fire to a police station in Madyan. Madyan, a tourist destination in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of northwestern Pakistan, was the site of the incident on Thursday. The mob killed the man and burned his remains.
Initially, authorities identified the deceased as Mohammad Ismail. However, after conducting an investigation, police revealed on Monday that his true name was Mohammad Salman. They also stated that Salman’s family has not contacted the police to claim his body. Notably, there has been no official statement from police in Punjab, Salman’s place of residence. However, Salman’s mother, in a brief video statement, described her son as a drug addict with a history of violent behavior, including physical abuse towards her. She explained that she had expelled him from their home due to his actions, emphasizing her Muslim faith and her family’s lack of responsibility for any wrongdoing by Salman.
In Madyan, regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur announced on Monday that officers have taken 23 suspects into custody. Further raids are underway to apprehend all those involved in Salman’s killing. Salman was staying at a hotel in Madyan when a mob accused him of blasphemy. Authorities reported that he was taken into custody for his safety on Thursday and was being questioned by police when a large crowd gathered outside the Madyan police station. This mob demanded his handover so they could inflict immediate punishment for allegedly burning pages from the Quran.
According to accounts from police and government officials, police officers attempted to assure the mob that Salman would face a trial if he had committed blasphemy. However, the enraged mob disregarded these assurances and attacked the police station, injuring several officers. They overpowered the police, snatched the man, and carried out his public execution, followed by the burning of his body.
Accusations of blasphemy are prevalent in Pakistan. The country’s blasphemy laws prescribe the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or Islamic religious figures. While authorities have yet to carry out a death sentence for blasphemy, such accusations often trigger riots and incite mobs to violence.
Last month, a mob in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province attacked a 72-year-old Christian man after accusing him of desecrating pages of the Quran. He later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
