Pakistan | Islamic scholar lynched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for blasphemy

A man was lynched by a blood-thirsty mob in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on Saturday, according to an ANI report. The deceased was accused of blasphemy during a rally of former prime minister Imran Khan's political outfit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

A spine-tingling video of the incident is currently doing the rounds of social media and shows a crowd of hundreds converging upon a single man and beating him mercilessly with sticks and other crude weapons. The mob even dragged the lifeless body of the man, believed to be in his 40s.

A Twitter user named Harris Sultan, claiming to be an ex-Muslim atheist activist and author of "The Curse of God, why I left Islam" shared the video of the incident saying the deceased was a Muslim scholar who said he loved Imran Khan like he loved the prophet as the PTI leader was an honest man.

"I've been saying it for at least 5 years that the frequency of these lynchings is only going to increase. According to initial reports, a cleric by the name of Maulana Nigar Alam said "I love Imran Khan like I love prophets"," tweeted the user.

"A seemingly harmless comment in Pakistan can get you killed. Soon, nobody will mention Muhammad or any prophet out of fear of getting misinterpreted as a 'blasphemer'."

The deceased scholar has been identified as Maulana Nigar Alam, according to the ANI report. The police had reportedly reached the spot to push the crowd back. However, while holding a conversation with some of the elders to simmer down the situation, the mob lynched the man.

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are highly ambiguous and anything said against Islam can land one in trouble. Last month, a Chinese engineer working at the Dasu hydropower project in Kohistan District in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province became the latest victim of the blasphemy laws. He was arrested for allegedly "insulting Allah".

The incident occurred at the project when an employee of China Gezhouba Group Company working at the site got into a heated argument with local labourers.

ALSO READ | Chinese national in Pakistan's police custody for 'insulting Allah' in Ramadan row

In January this year, Pakistan's National Assembly voted to expand the definition of the blasphemy law, which already carries a death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Under the new law, individuals who are deemed to have insulted the prophet's companions can also receive 10 years in prison or life imprisonment.

The blasphemy laws have been criticised by human rights organisations and international bodies, including the United Nations. These organisations argue that the laws violate freedom of expression and religion, and have called for their repeal or reform.

Source: wionews.com, Staff, May 7, 2023

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