New Delhi: Pakistan police arrested twelve suspects involved in the mob lynching of a man accused of blasphemy at the Nankana Sahib police station in the country's Punjab province, ANI reported on Monday citing The News International.
According to the report, the arrests were made on Sunday after an initial investigation was launched by the local police.
Earlier on Saturday, a raging mob of hundreds tortured a man to death after snatching him from the Warburton Police Station, where he was being held for allegedly committing blasphemy. During the incident, Station House Officer (SHO) Warburton Feroze Bhatti and other police personnel escaped the scene to save their lives.
Taking notice of the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said, "action would be taken against police officials who failed in their duty."
"No one is allowed to take the law into their hands," PM Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar suspended two senior policemen for failing to prevent the mob lynching incident in Nankana Sahib, the report said.
According to the report, the IGP further appointed the Internal Accountability Branch Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Muhammad Amin Bukhari and Special Branch DIG Raja Faisal to reach the incident location and submit an inquiry report.
“Strict departmental and legal action will be taken against those responsible for the incident,” The News International quoted IGP as saying.
Police officials said the victim, identified as Muhammad Waris, had been taken into custody for allegedly desecrating the Quran. They said news of the alleged crime outraged residents and hundreds of them later surrounded the police station, demanding Waris be handed over to them.
Seeing the massive violent crowd, police officers fled the facility. Protesters grabbed the man and dragged him out to the street where they beat him to death.
(With agency inputs)