Mob in Pakistan kills man accused of burning Quran
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A mob in southern Pakistan stormed a police station
to seize a mentally unstable Muslim man accused of burning a copy of
Islam's holy book, beat him to death, and then set his body afire,
police said Saturday.
The case is likely to raise further concerns about the country's harsh blasphemy laws, which can result in a death sentence
or life in prison to anyone found guilty. Critics say an accusation or
investigation alone can lead to deaths, as people take the law into
their own hands and kill those accused of violating it. Police stations
and even courts have been attacked by mobs.
Local police
official Bihar-ud-Din said police arrested the man on Friday after
being informed by residents that he had burned a Quran inside a mosque
where he had been staying for a night.
An angry mob
of more than 200 people then broke into the police station in the
southern town of Dadu and took the accused man, who they say was under
questioning. Din said police tried their best to save the man's life but
were unable to stop the furious crowd.
He said that police had arrested 30 people for suspected involvement in the attack, while the head of the local police station and seven officers had been suspended.
Past attempts by governments in predominantly Muslim Pakistan to review these laws have met with violent opposition from hardline Islamist parties.