Law Minister Azam Tarar presented the resolution during a session marred by ruckus. He said that the “upsetting and painful events” in Swat and Sargodha were part of a “chain”. The resolution, moved by Azam, stated, “[The] right to life is the most cherished right as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan. Every person is to be dealt with in accordance with the law and not otherwise.” It also urged the federal and provincial governments to take all possible steps to ensure the safety of all citizens, including minorities.
It further called on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to “take all necessary measures to ensure that persons involved in these incidents are identified, investigated and prosecuted under the relevant laws”. Meanwhile, Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan said on Sunday that at least 23 persons had been arrested for allegedly leading a mob and lynching a man in Madyan earlier this week. The mob had brutally lynched a man – who had been detained for the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran – inside the Madyan police station on Thursday evening. The mob had then set fire to the suspect’s body, the police station and a police vehicle.
According to locals, some individuals had announced in a market that the victim had committed blasphemy, leading others to apprehend him and hand him over to the police.
Shortly afterwards, announcements were also made from mosques in Madyan, a known tourist destination in Swat, mobilising the people towards the police station in anger. According to witnesses, the mob asked police to hand over the victim to them, and on their refusal, forced their way inside the police station. Police officials had to flee to save themselves, while more reinforcements were called in to deal with the tense law and order situation.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media made for macabre viewing: some clips showed the Madyan police station on fire, while in other clips a large crowd could be seen surrounding the motionless body of the deceased before it was doused with fuel and set on fire.
This is the second such incident to be reported in recent weeks. Last month, police had saved a Christian man from an enraged mob in Sargodha following allegations of desecrating the Holy Quran. He had died nine days later from his injuries.
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