New Delhi: In a horrifying incident, a violent mob on Saturday dragged a man from a police station in Punjab's Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, who was locked up for allegedly committing blasphemy and tortured him to death, as reported by Geo News. In a video shared on social media, hundreds of youngsters can be seen besieging the police compound, with one man scaling a tall gate using a ladder and opening its lock.
The video shows a man being dragged through the streets by his legs. His clothes were stripped off. The people were seen beating him with sticks and metal rods. Amid the mob lynching incident, Station House Officer (SHO) Warburton Feroze Bhatti and other police personnel escaped the scene to save their lives, reported Geo News.
The victim was identified as Muhammad Waris. He was taken into custody following the allegations of desecrating the Quran. The police officials said news of the alleged crime outraged residents and hundreds of them later surrounded the police station, demanding the accused be handed over to them, as reported by Voice of America. Several police officials have been suspended for being unable to stop the mob, a statement from the police said.
According to Geo News, the residents of the area claimed that the man, who had returned after spending two years in jail, used to practice witchcraft by pasting his ex-wife's picture on holy papers.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation into the Warburton police station incident and asked why the police did not stop the violent mob, reported Geo News. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan. The offense is punishable by death. International rights groups have also criticised Pakistani authorities in the past for not doing enough to stem lynchings over accusations of blasphemy.
The caretaker chief minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has also sought a report from the IG on the incident. He has also ordered an investigation from all aspects.